P.E.I. Liberals delay leadership convention

The P.E.I. Liberal Party has called off the leadership convention it had scheduled for Nov. 13.

No new date has been set and no candidate names have been made public.

Sonny Gallant has been interim leader of the party since 2019, when former leader Wade MacLauchlan resigned following an election loss to the Progressive Conservatives.

In a news release Thursday, party president Don Leary said the party was in no hurry to fill the job.

"We have heard clearly throughout this process that, given the premier's repeated assurances that he will not trigger a general election until 2023, we should postpone the leadership convention to provide more opportunity for Islanders to get involved in the important process of rebuilding our party," said Leary.

Leary added the party wants to focus its attention on abyelection in District 16, Cornwall-Meadowbank,expected this fall.

Filling the leadership role is just a part of a lot of work that the party needs to do, he said. The Liberal Party needs to rebuild its relationship with Islanders and regain their trust.

The party currently has four MLAs, following the resignation of Heath MacDonald, who stepped down for what turned out to be a successful run for a federal seat in Malpeque.