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P.E.I. Elections: Alex Campbell's victory
If the province of P.E.I. had a campaign slogan it would be of the "go big or go home" genre. From Liberal landslides to Tory sweeps, P.E.I. elections have been showy and dramatic changings of the guard. But despite the spectacular overthrows, campaigns have been conducted as a sport of etiquette. CBC has covered the continuing electoral spectacle as Islanders waffled between the Liberal and Tory tides, confronted issues of party patronage, and elected the first woman and non-European premiers in Canada.
• Edward Palmer became the Island's first Conservative premier in 1860. Palmer was renowned for maintaining the status quo. Specifically, he fought against joining British North America and resisted any land reforms. He was replaced by his Conservative colleague John Hamilton Gray in 1863.
• Walter Maxfield Lea, premier from 1930-1931 and 1935-1936, was the first farmer to be elected premier on the Island. He led the Liberal party to victory in 1935 when they won all 30 seats. This marked the first time in British Commonwealth history in which there was no opposition party in the Legislature. He died in office on Jan. 10, 1936.
• Alexander Bradshaw Campbell was born on Dec. 1, 1933, in Summerside, P.E.I.
• Alex's father, Thane Campbell, was premier of P.E.I. from 1936 to 1943. The senior Campbell stepped down as premier in 1943 to accept an appointment as the province's chief justice. He retired in 1970 and passed away in 1978.
• Alex Campbell was the youngest premier to be elected in P.E.I. history. Thane and Alex were also the only father and son to be elected to the premier's office on the Island.
• When he assumed the reins of leadership, Alex Campbell worked hard to turn around the near-bankrupt province. Over the course of his leadership he overhauled the province's economy, education system and social services. He also sought to maintain the Island's heritage and established the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation.
• Alex Campbell led the Liberal party to another victory in 1970, winning 27 of the 32 provincial seats. He won again in 1974 and 1978 and holds the record for the longest term in the premier's office — 12 years and two months.
• As many of his wide-reaching programs came under fire, Campbell changed his focus to a more green theme. He promoted "the conserver society" and stressed a more ecologically friendly and balanced way of life. But it was too late and voters opted for a complete change with Conservative Angus MacLean. MacLean would go on to win the next election in 1979 with his million-acre farm campaign. • Campbell resigned in 1978 and was appointed to the P.E.I. Supreme Court.
Program: CBC News
Broadcast Date: July 12, 1966
Guest(s): Alex Campbell, Keith MacKenzie, Walter Shaw, Bruce Stewart
Host: Kingsley Brown
Duration: 14:30
Last updated: March 9, 2012
Page consulted on March 25, 2013
All Clips from this Topic
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Young Liberal Alex Campbell woos voters with his visionary politics.
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Tory leader Angus MacLean seeks a rural renaissance.
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A history of P.E.I. politics.
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Generation after generation has maintained party loyalty but now that ...
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Peter Gzowski sits down with P.E.I.'s new premier, Joe Ghiz.
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Party loyalty, rewards and punishment run deep and damaging.
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P.E.I. premier Joe Ghiz shares his family Caesar salad recipe with Pet...
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Catherine Callbeck makes her bid for the leadership.
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Public servants protest Premier Callbeck's paycuts.
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Islanders take an active interest in politics.
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Voters struggle with the new electoral map.
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Pat Binns leads the Conservatives to power and the electoral map is re...
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Herb Dickieson wins the first seat for the NDP on the Island.
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Islanders contemplate a new system of voting to balance party represen...
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A Liberal tide sweeps Pat Binn's Tories from power, bringing in a new ...
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If the province of P.E.I. had a campaign slogan it would be of the "go...