Wade MacLauchlan waves to the crowd as he is acclaimed leader at the Prince Edward Island Liberal leadership convention in Charlottetown on Feb. 21, 2015.ANDREW VAUGHAN/The Canadian Press
Wade MacLauchlan became Prince Edward Island's 32nd premier on Monday, taking over for Robert Ghiz.
MacLauchlan became Liberal Leader at a convention in Charlottetown on Saturday and was sworn in as premier during a ceremony at Government House. He was unopposed for the leadership of the Liberal Party, which holds 23 of the 27 seats in the legislature.
MacLauchlan also announced a smaller cabinet, shrinking it to eight members from the 11 ministers Ghiz had in his government. Seven members of Ghiz's cabinet remain in their current roles or take on an additional portfolio.
MacLauchlan, 60, also becomes chairman of the Council of the Federation, which is made up of all Canadian premiers.
The next PEI election could be as late as April, 2016, but MacLauchlan has suggested he could have more to say about his election plans on Friday.
WADE MACLAUCHLAN'S CABINET
- Wade MacLauchlan: premier; minister of finance and energy; minister responsible for aboriginal affairs; minister responsible for Acadian affairs; minister of intergovernmental affairs
- George Webster: deputy premier; minister of agriculture and forestry
- Doug Currie: minister of health and wellness; minister responsible for municipal affairs
- Valerie Docherty: minister of community services and seniors; minister responsible for the status of women
- Janice Sherry: minister of environment, labour, justice, and attorney-general
- Robert Henderson: minister of tourism and culture
- Alan McIsaac: minister of education and early childhood development; minister of transportation and infrastructure renewal
- Allen Roach: minister of innovation and advanced learning; minister of fisheries, aquaculture and rural development