P.E.I. PC members petition for vote on Premier Lantz

A petition signed by more than 120 members of Prince Edward Island’s Progressive Conservative Party is calling for a special general meeting to vote on Premier Rob Lantz’s leadership, CBC News reported Tuesday, the opening day of the fall sitting of the legislature.

The petition and resolution, sent to the party association, asks that the meeting be held within the next 15 days. Lantz would have a chance to speak, and members would vote by secret ballot on whether he should step down. It would then be up to Lantz to decide the next steps, CBC reported. The story is developing, and the party has not said whether or when a meeting will take place.

Party member Martie Murphy told CBC the petition is signed by more than 120 members and that some in the party have become discouraged. “We feel like doing nothing is political demise because we’re not going to climb up in the polls with the leadership the way that it is,” she said.

The resolution cites concerns about financial responsibility, transparency and accountability, and points to what it calls the province’s “rapidly escalating and unsustainable deficit.” It also says the party continues to experience “historically weak public support” in consecutive polls, putting its ability to form government at risk, according to CBC.

Lantz told reporters he is aware the party has received the petition and will “let the party work through that.” He noted the party has more than 7,200 members and that under its constitution 75 signatures are enough to compel a leadership vote. “That’s a pretty low bar. But in the meantime, I’m just focused on the work of government and the priorities of Islanders,” he said.

Lantz said he believes “a small number of people” never accepted the result of the leadership convention and are trying to compel a discussion. “It appears to me they just want to roll back the clock to reverse a democratic decision that was made by this party, but it is what it is,” he said.

PC Party president Robert Larsen confirmed by email that the party received a petition requesting a special general meeting. He did not say when a meeting could be held or whether a vote on Lantz’s leadership would take place, and said the party is consulting legal counsel on what its constitution now requires.

Lantz won the party leadership in February with 53.1 per cent of the vote over Mark Ledwell, as we reported in Rob Lantz wins leadership race, will be next P.E.I. premier.

The leadership question also came up during question period. Liberal Opposition Leader Hal Perry said the province faces “many serious challenges” and that the government is the source of many of them. “Rather than leading with a clear vision and plan, this government stumbles from one mistake to another,” Perry said. Lantz replied that Islanders elected the Progressive Conservatives with a strong majority and that the government is “delivering on that mandate every day,” citing access to care, the price at the pump and protecting jobs from tariffs.

The pressure on Lantz comes as the government deals with other controversies. We reported earlier on the RCMP being alerted about a cabinet minister’s dealings with a golf developer. This week Charlottetown also elected a new mayor, as we reported in Zuccolo elected Charlottetown’s first woman mayor in 50 years.

The report is based on CBC News coverage. We will update this story as more information is confirmed.

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