- Robert Ghiz
Infobox Prime Minister
honorific-prefix =The Honourable
name = Robert W. J. Ghiz
honorific-suffix = MLA BA
small| caption =
order = 33rd
office = Premier of Prince Edward Island
term_start =June 12 ,2007
term_end =
lieutenant_governor =Barbara Oliver Hagerman
predecessor =Pat Binns
successor =
birth_date = birth date and age|1974|01|21
birth_place =Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
party = Liberal
spouse = Kate Ellis
religion = |Robert W.J. Ghiz MLA (born
January 21 ,1974 , inCharlottetown, Prince Edward Island ) is the Premier ofPrince Edward Island . He is also the son of former PremierJoe Ghiz .Ghiz grew up in Charlottetown and served in the
Canadian Forces Primary Reserves while attending high school in the early 1990s. He attendedBishop's University where he earned a Bachelor's degree in political science; his father spoke at Ghiz's graduation.Ghiz moved to Ottawa following his father's death from cancer and worked as a political aide for Deputy Prime Minister
Sheila Copps before joining theBank of Nova Scotia in 1998. In 2001 Ghiz joined the office of Prime MinisterJean Chrétien where he served asAtlantic Canada advisor before leaving to run for leader of theLiberal Party of Prince Edward Island in 2003.In 2003 Ghiz narrowly defeated former provincial Health Minister
Alan Buchanan for the leadership of the party and went on to win a seat in theLegislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island in the 2003 provincial election. The MLA for Charlottetown-Rochford Square (nowCharlottetown-Brighton ) served as Leader of the Official Opposition in the provincial legislature from 2003-2007.Ghiz faced a difficult controversy during the lead-up to the 2007 provincial election when he personally intervened in the nominating procedure in a rural electoral district northeast of Charlottetown. Ghiz refused to sign his party's nominating papers for the winning candidate who had made a controversial speech endorsing
patronage .Ghiz led his party to power in the general election held on May 28, 2007, easily defeating
Pat Binns after 11 years of Progressive Conservative government. Ghiz won 23 of the 27 seats, reversing the standings in the legislature at the time of dissolution. Ghiz and his 11-member cabinet were sworn in onJune 12 ,2007 . A 24th member was elected in October in a by-election held after the resignation of Pat Binns.Ghiz's election resulted in the second time in the history of Prince Edward Island that a father-son team both became premier; the other pair (also Liberal) being
Thane Campbell (1936-1943) and his son Alexander B. Campbell (1966-1978).External links
* [http://www.electionspei.ca/provincial/proposed/district/13 Electoral District 13 - Charlottetown-Brighton]
* [http://www.assembly.pe.ca/index.php3?number=1018157&lang=E Current Members of the PEI Legislative Assembly]
* [http://liberal.pe.ca/ Liberal Party of Prince Edward Island]References
* [http://www.cbc.ca/pei/story/pe_ghiz20030407.html Ghiz Gets to Work]
* [http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1045598050062_33 Robert Ghiz to run for PEI Liberal leadership]
* [http://www.cbc.ca/peivotes2003/analysis/an_sept9.html The education of Robert Ghiz]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.