PEIPrince Edward Island’s two newest MLAs-elect say they’re ready to get to work on the issues voters told them matter most during the provincial byelections that wrapped up Tuesday night.Carolyn Simpson, Kent Dollar say Islanders want better access to primary health careThinh Nguyen · CBC News · Posted: Aug 13, 2025 11:05 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours agoPC, Liberal candidates split 2 provincial byelections in P.E.I.Byelections in two provincial districts ultimately had no effect on the balance of power in the P.E.I. Legislature. Liberal candidate Carolyn Simpson won District 9, solidifying the party’s status as Official Opposition, while Kent Dollar’s victory in District 15 adds a 20th seat to the Progressive Conservatives’ majority. CBC’s Cody MacKay has the details. Prince Edward Island’s newest MLAs-elect say they’re ready to get to work on the issues voters told them matter most during the provincial byelections that wrapped up Tuesday.Voters chose Liberal Carolyn Simpson to represent District 9, Charlottetown–Hillsborough Park, and Progressive Conservative Kent Dollar for District 15, Brackley–Hunter River.Dollar, who previously served as executive assistant to former premier Dennis King, said that experience has prepared him well for his new role.”I think in a lot of ways, it’s just going to be a continuation of what I was doing,” he told CBC’s Island Morning. “I’m looking forward to it.”Progressive Conservative Kent Dollar will represent P.E.I.’s District 15 in the provincial legislature. (Cody MacKay/CBC)For Simpson, the win capped off months of meeting people in her district. She began visiting residents in late November to share her vision and hear their concerns.”That did work well for me, and I enjoyed every opportunity and every chance I had to talk with folks and really appreciate the support of the residents in District 9,” Simpson said.Both said they’re looking forward to training and preparation sessions before the fall sitting of the legislature.Health care, affordability top concernsSimpson said access to health care, especially given the shortage of primary care providers, was the most common concern she heard from voters.Dollar said the same was true in his district. Many people told him they’re frustrated about not having a family doctor and having to rely on emergency rooms, which can lead to long wait times.”We need more family doctors,” Dollar said. “I’d like to see, personally, some more walk-in clinics.”But he noted the governing Progressive Conservatives have also made progress when it comes to health care on the Island.”I don’t think it’s all bad. I think there’s been some significant moves made to better it,” he said. “I think we’re on a good path there, and I think it’s going to take time.” Liberal Carolyn Simpson will be the new MLA for District . (Cody MacKay/CBC)Simpson said she also heard concerns about the rising cost of living, housing and the affordability of everyday necessities.”People would be saying, ‘There was a time when we lived paycheque to paycheque and now we’re not even making it paycheque to paycheque.’ And so what can we do to support everyday people until the economy and circumstances turn around for us?’ she said.Dollar added that younger Islanders often told him they see home ownership as out of reach, with many still living with their parents.Political implicationsDon Desserud, chair of the political science department at UPEI, said the byelection results carry some political implications for all parties, even though they don’t change the balance of power in the legislature.Charlottetown–Hillsborough Park had been held by PC Natalie Jameson since 2019 until her resignation in February. Now that the district has flipped to the Liberals, Desserud said the government should take note.”Sometimes voters will park their votes with another party as way of sending a message to the government and say, ‘We’re not happy with health care,’ for example,” he said. “Doesn’t always mean that, but it can mean that.” Island MorningA look at P.E.I.’s byelection resultsPolitical scientist Don Desserud breaks down last night’s byelection outcomes and what they could mean for voters in Districts 9 and 15.For the P.E.I. Green Party, he said the results may be a signal to re-examine their strategy. The party’s candidates placed second but not close to winning in District 15, and third in District 9.While the party saw a bump when Matt MacFarlane won a byelection in Borden–Kinkora last year, Desserud said Tuesday night’s results are similar to the Greens’ performance in the 2023 provincial election when the party fell out of Official Opposition staus. “The Greens’ support seems to have been stuck,” he said. Desserud added that the Greens can’t rely solely on the momentum of their 2019 success, when they won eight seats and formed the Official Opposition — a first for the party in any Canadian province.Instead, he said, they need to analyze their messaging and understand what attracted voters during that period.”I know within that party there is debate about [whether] they should go back… to first principles, where they were an environmentalist party, or should they talk about their fiscal conservatism and their more general policies on health care,” Desserud said.”They haven’t figured that part out yet, but once they do, then there’ll be a way of getting back to a little better than what they’re doing now.”With files from Island Morning
P.E.I.’s 2 new MLAs-elect ready to address voters’ top concerns after byelection wins
