Cardigan

This riding on the eastern shore of Prince Edward Island consists of Kings County and part of Queens County. Governors Island is also included in the territory. The eastern part of the riding is rural and the western side is primarily urban. Communities in this riding include Stratford, Montague, Souris and Georgetown. The Scotchfort and Morell reserves are also in the riding.

Cardigan's economy is equally dependent upon fishing and mixed farming, although tourism is a growing industry and manufacturing is a significant employer.

The average family income is $65,103 and unemployment is 11.3 per cent. More than 95 per cent of the population cited English as their mother tongue in the 2006 census. The immigrant population is slightly more than four per cent.

The Cardigan riding was established in 1966. In the 1976 redistribution, 85 per cent of Cardigan was combined with 15 per cent of Hillsborough. In 2004, 12 per cent of Hillsborough riding was added in the southwest corner. In 1996, another small area from Hillsborough was added.

Population: 35,067 (2006 census; an increase of 0.8% since 2001)

Political History

In 2006, Liberal incumbent Lawrence MacAulay improved on his already-dominant vote totals from the last election. He defeated Don Gillis, capturing 56 per cent of the vote.

In 2004, MacAulay was re-elected with 53 per cent of the vote. MacAulay defeated Progressive Conservative Kevin MacAdam in 2000 by 276 votes. He was solicitor general until he resigned in 2002 after being the subject of an inquiry concerning allegations of conflict of interest. MacAulay was first elected in 1988, defeating Tory incumbent MP Pat Binns, who later became premier of the province. MacAulay was re-elected in 1993 and 1997. He was appointed minister of labour in 1997 and solicitor general in 1998.

In 1968, PC Melvin McQuaid, who had been elected in Kings in 1965, won by 94 votes. Liberal Daniel MacDonald won in 1972 and 1974 and was appointed minister of veterans' affairs. In 1979, he was defeated by PC Wilbur MacDonald, but he regained the seat in 1980. Daniel MacDonald died in 1980. The head office of Veterans Affairs in Charlottetown is named in his honour.

In a byelection in 1981, Liberal Bennett Campbell won by 353 votes. Campbell had been in the P.E.I. legislature since 1970 and had served in cabinet and as premier from September 1978 to May 1979. He was leader of the opposition from May 1979 to January 1981. He was appointed minister of veterans' affairs in 1981. In 1984, PC Binns defeated Campbell in the Cardigan riding.

• 1968 - PC
• 1972, 1974 - LIB
• 1979 - PC
• 1980, 1981 byelection - LIB
• 1984 - PC
• 1988, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006 - LIB