PEIThe two people running to become leader of P.E.I.’s Liberal Party made their final stop for questions last night in Cornwall. The party held four leadership forums across the Island to give Todd Cormier and Robert Mitchell a chance to convince members that they would be best to lead the Official Opposition into the future.Todd Cormier, Robert Mitchell echo message of Islanders’ desire for changeJenna Banfield · CBC News · Posted: Sep 19, 2025 5:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours agoP.E.I. Liberal leadership candidates make final stop in cross-province tourIn the last of four stops of provincewide Liberal leadership forums, candidates Robert Mitchell and Todd Cormier made their case to party members as to why they’d be fit to run the party into the next election. CBC’s Cody MacKay reports.The two people running to become leader of P.E.I.’s Liberal Party made their final stop for questions last night in Cornwall. The party held four leadership forums across the Island to give Todd Cormier and Robert Mitchell a chance to convince members that they would be best to lead the Official Opposition into the future. The Liberals have been without a permanent leader since Sharon Cameron failed to win a seat in the 2023 provincial election. MLA Hal Perry has been the interim leader. Some topics that arose during each of the forums included health care, education, housing, cost of living, child care and mental health and addictions.Robert Mitchell, left, and Todd Cormier, the two candidates for the leadership of the P.E.I. Liberal Party, held forums in Bloomfield, Albany, Montague and Cornwall in recent weeks. (Ken Linton/CBC)Cormier, a newcomer to politics, said the common issues are a sign that Islanders are ready for change.”We’re getting those questions… because what we’re doing isn’t working,” he said. “To suggest that we need to do more of what we’re doing now… I just don’t agree with that.”Mitchell, a former MLA and cabinet minister, said Islanders have lost faith in the current Progressive Conservative government. He said he wants to “rebuild trust” in the Liberal Party.”It takes time to renew relationships with those who had interactions before, who felt that maybe they weren’t listened to,” Mitchell said.”We once stood tall and we’re looking to rise back to those days of the past. I feel that we do need to do some work in districts, but we will get there and we will get there quickly, because the excitement is building.”Both candidates provided some general ideas for how to improve things, though without any costs associated with implementing them. Some included speeding up housing starts, more supports in mental health and addictions, adding child-care spaces and increased recruitment incentives for doctors.’Take it back to the districts’Katie Morello, president of the P.E.I. Liberal Party, said the energy Thursday night at the Cornwall forum was a hopeful sign as the party prepares for the next provincial election.”We take it back to the districts, get them mobilized for the next election, whenever that might be — if it’s this fall, next spring or if we go the full distance to the fixed election date,” she said. The new Liberal leader will be chosen Oct. 4 during a convention at the Delta Prince Edward in Charlottetown.The next provincial election is expected to happen by fall 2027 at the latest. Meanwhile, both the PCs and NDP are also looking for new party leaders. The governing party has not yet set a date for its leadership convention, while the New Democratic Party will vote for a new leader in February.The Island’s Green Party members elected Matt MacFarlane as their new leader back in June. ABOUT THE AUTHORJenna Banfield is an associate producer for CBC Prince Edward Island. She can be reached at jenna.banfield@cbc.caWith files from Cody MacKay
Candidates in P.E.I.’s Liberal leadership race make final campaign stop before convention
