# 1996 Prince Edward Island general election

The 1996 Prince Edward Island general election was held on November 18, 1996. It was the first election in the province's history to not use multi-member constituencies, and instead elect a single member in each of 27 districts. (Previously, since 1873 the province had been divided into 15 or 16 districts, each electing two members.)
The governing Liberals of Premier Keith Milligan, who had been in power since Joe Ghiz first won government in 1986, lost to the resurgent Progressive Conservatives under their new leader, Pat Binns.
This was also the first election where a party other than the Liberals or Tories won a seat in the Legislature, with New Democratic Party leader Herb Dickieson winning a three-way race in a Prince County riding.
This election was the only one in PEI history where a party formed government without winning a majority of the vote until the 2015 election.

## Party standings

| 18 | 8 | 1 |
| PC | Liberal | NDP |
| Party | Party | Party Leader | Seats | Seats | Seats | Popular Vote | Popular Vote |
| Party | Party | Party Leader | 1993 | Elected | Change | # | % |
| | Progressive Conservative | Pat Binns | 1 | 18 | +17 | 37,910 | 47.39% |
| | Liberal | Keith Milligan | 31 | 8 | -23 | 35,802 | 44.76% |
| | New Democrats | Herb Dickieson | - | 1 | +1 | 6,283 | 7.85 |
| Total | Total | | 32 | 27 | | 79,995 | 100% |
Popular vote
PC
47.39%
Liberal
44.76%
New Democratic
7.85% :
Seats summary
PC
66.67%
Liberal
29.63%
New Democratic
3.70% :

## Members elected

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | PC | PC | Liberal | Liberal | NDP | NDP | | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| 1. Souris-Elmira | | Andy Mooney 1,287 | | Ross Young 1,159 | | Brian MacDonald 54 | | Ross Young & Roger Soloman† 1st Kings |
| 2. Morell-Fortune Bay | | Kevin MacAdam 1,347 | | Walter Bradley 1,269 | | Kathy Murphy 40 | | Walter Bradley & Claude Matheson† 2nd Kings |
| 3. Georgetown-Baldwin's Road | | Michael Currie 1,463 | | Rose Marie MacDonald 1,182 | | Patricia Allen 43 | | Peter Doucette† & Roberta Hubley† 3rd Kings |
| Merged riding ||
| 3. Georgetown-Baldwin's Road | | Michael Currie 1,463 | | Rose Marie MacDonald 1,182 | | Patricia Allen 43 | | Rose Marie MacDonald & Barry Hicken‡ 5th Kings |
| 4. Montague-Kilmuir | | Jim Bagnall 1,259 | | Beverly Deelstra 964 | | Janet Gillis 71 | New District | New District |
| 5. Murray River-Gaspereaux | | Pat Binns 1,309 | | Barry Hicken 1,022 | | Alan Hicken 112 | | Stanley Bruce † 4th Kings |
| 6. Belfast-Pownal Bay | | Wilbur MacDonald 1,275 | | Lynwood MacPherson 1,242 | | Edith Perry 99 | | Lynwood MacPherson 4th Queens |
| 7. Glen Stewart-Bellevue Cove | | Pat Mella 2,357 | | Mary Hughes 914 | | Pat Burgoyne 146 | | Pat Mella (PC) & Tom Dunphy† (Lib) 3rd Queens |
| 8. Tracadie-Fort Augustus | | Mildred Dover 1,511 | | Alan McIsaac 1,279 | | Suzanne Gibler 90 | | Pat Mella (PC) & Tom Dunphy† (Lib) 3rd Queens |
| 9. Stanhope-East Royalty | | Jamie Ballem 1,625 | | Eddie Reardon 1,404 | | Leo Cheverie 165 | New District | New District |
| 10. Sherwood-Hillsborough | | Elmer MacFadyen 1,585 | | Larry Hughes 1,212 | | Ronald Kelly 207 | | Wayne Cheverie 5th Queens |
| 11. Parkdale-Belvedere | | Chester Gillan 1,584 | | Stephen Dowling 1,008 | | Larry Duchesne 169 | | Wayne Cheverie 5th Queens |
| 12. Charlottetown-Kings Square | | Brian McKenna 1,075 | | Wayne Cheverie 1,345 | | Sybil Frei 363 | | Wayne Cheverie 5th Queens |
| 13. Charlottetown-Rochford Square | | Jeff Lantz 1,242 | | Paul Connolly 1,348 | | Mark Forrest 226 | | Paul Connolly 6th Queens |
| 14. Charlottetown-Spring Park | | Wes MacAleer 1,481 | | Ian MacDonald 1,119 | | Leo Broderick 862 | | Paul Connolly 6th Queens |
| 15. Winsloe-West Royalty | | Don MacKinnon 1,751 | | Perley MacNeill 1,575 | | James Rodd 190 | New District | New District |
| 16. North River-Rice Point | | Brian Dollar 1,606 | | Ron MacKinley 1,958 | | Marlene Hunt 224 | | Gordon MacInnis‡ & Ron MacKinley 2nd Queens |
| 17. Crapaud-Hazel Grove | | Norman MacPhee 1,666 | | Eric MacArthur 1,529 | | J'Nan Brown 312 | | Marion Murphy† 1st Queens |
| 18. Park Corner-Oyster Bed | | Beth MacKenzie 1,824 | | Gordon MacInnis 1,652 | | Gerard Gallant 187 | New District | New District |
| 19. Borden-Kinkora | | Eric Hammill 1,521 | | Stavert Huestis 1,310 | | Gerard Sexton 195 | | Stavert Huestis & Libbe Hubley† 4th Prince |
| 20. Kensington-Malpeque | | Mitch Murphy 2,020 | | Bill Campbell 1,312 | | Calvin Roberts 227 | New District | New District |
| 21. Wilmot-Summerside | | Greg Deighan 1,506 | | Walter McEwen 1,394 | | Bill McKinnon 492 | | Walter McEwen & Nancy Guptill 5th Prince |
| 22. St. Eleanors-Summerside | | Gardiner MacNeill 1,145 | | Nancy Guptill 1,716 | | Marsha Arseneault 307 | | Walter McEwen & Nancy Guptill 5th Prince |
| 23. Cascumpec-Grand River | | Barry Balsom 715 | | Keith Milligan 1,823 | | Donna Lewis 162 | | Keith Milligan 2nd Prince |
| 24. Evangeline-Miscouche | | Gerard Richard 735 | | Robert Maddix 1,519 | | Gerard Bernard 188 | | Robert Maddix 3rd Prince |
| 25. West Point-Bloomfield | | Gary Morgan 695 | | Fairley Yeo 783 | | Herb Dickieson 921 | New District | New District |
| 26. Alberton-Miminegash | | Eddie Trail 1,127 | | Hector MacLeod 1,351 | | Ed Kilfoil 175 | | Bobby Morrissey & Hector MacLeod 1st Prince |
| 27. Tignish-DeBlois | | Gail Shea 1,149 | | Bobby Morrissey 1,413 | | Howard Waite 56 | | Bobby Morrissey & Hector MacLeod 1st Prince |