The path to majority

Could it be time for Prince Edward Island MLA Hal Perry to return to his political roots?

Perry was first elected to the legislature in 2011 as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party. At one time he was the interim leader of that party, but he left the Tories to cross the floor and sit as a Liberal in 2013.

As a Grit he served a very short stint as education minister before being returned to the back benches.

But the time might now be ripe for Perry to look at crossing back over and rejoining the new government elect.

the end of election night counting, the Progressive Conservatives had won 12 seats, there were eight Greens, and the Liberals dropped from government to third party status with just six.

One byelection must be held by mid-June as the result of the death of a candidate before the election.

Should they Tories win that byelection, and they do have a very strong, popular candidate, that would put them within one seat of having a majority government.

Hence the attention on Hal Perry!

Having sat in the leader's chair and having sat on the front benches as a minister of the government, I'm not convinced Perry would be very happy sitting in the far reaches of the legislature as a member of the third party. He and his constituency clearly want more.

It will be very interesting to see who starts the courtship if there is to be one. Will Premier elect Dennis King approach the District 27 member with an offer of a cabinet seat or the Speaker's chair? Or will Perry make the first approach to see what might be on offer should he cross the floor?

The results of this little courtship dance could make the difference between a minority or majority government for the tiny Island.

Frank Likely is a retired Anglican minister who lives in Springhill