Longtime Progressive Conservative politician Rob Lantz has been sworn in as Prince Edward Island’s 34th premier Friday.
Friday’s ceremony at Fanningbank, the residence of P.E.I.’s lieutenant-governor, came less than 24 hours after Dennis King announced he was resigning and stepping away from politics.
Lt.-Gov. Wassim Salamoun confirmed during the ceremony that he had asked Lantz to form a government.
Lantz earned the unanimous support of his fellow Progressive Conservative MLAs to become the party’s interim leader after the resignation of Premier Dennis King on Thursday, according to news releases Thursday from both the PCs and from government House Leader Susie Dillon.
At a surprise media conference Thursday, King said he had decided to leave politics after a long conversation with his family, adding that he felt it was time to hand the title to someone who could take the provincial government further.
King is officially ending his time as party leader, premier and the MLA for Brackley-Hunter River as a result.
Dennis King announced Thursday that he was stepping down as P.E.I.’s premier and walking away from politics entirely. A few hours after the announcement, he joined CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin to talk about his decision and his plans for the future.
Late Thursday afternoon, the Progressive Conservatives announced that Lantz, a past leader who has most recently been acting as the King government’s education and early years minister, would take over the roles of premier and interim party leader.
King’s resignation came just days before the spring legislative sitting is due to begin, with the threat of American tariffs looming over the Island’s resource-based economy.
It’s not yet clear whether the spring sitting will begin Tuesday as scheduled.
