Keith Milligan

{{Short description|Canadian politician}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Keith Milligan

| honorific-suffix =

| image =

| caption =

| order = 29th

| office = Premier of Prince Edward Island

| term_start = October 9, 1996

| term_end = November 27, 1996

| monarch = Elizabeth II

| lieutenant_governor = Gilbert Clements

| predecessor = Catherine Callbeck

| successor = Pat Binns

| office1 = Leader of the Prince Edward Island Liberal Party

| term_start1 = October 5, 1996

| term_end1 = March 5, 1999

| predecessor1 = Catherine Callbeck

| successor1 = Wayne Carew

| office2 = Member of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island
for Cascumpec-Grand River
{{small|(2nd Prince; 1981–1996)}}

| term_start2 = February 2, 1981

| term_end2 = April 17, 2000

| predecessor2 = George Henderson (1980)

| successor2 = Philip Brown

| birth_name = Keith Wayne Milligan

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|2|8}}

| birth_place = Inverness, Prince Edward Island, Canada

| spouse = {{marriage|Deborah Foley|1978}}

| party = Liberal

| otherparty =

| relations =

| children = 3

| residence = Tyne Valley, Prince Edward Island, Canada

| alma_mater = University of PEI

| occupation = {{hlist|Teacher|farmer}}

| profession = Politician

| cabinet = {{plainlist|

  • Minister of Health and Social Services (1986–1989)
  • Minister Responsible for the Hospital and Health Services Commission (1986–1989)
  • Minister of Agriculture (1989–1993)
  • Minister of Education and Human Resources (1993–1994)
  • Minister of Transportation and Public Works (1994–1996)

}}

}}

Keith Wayne Milligan (born February 8, 1950) is a Canadian politician who was the 29th premier of Prince Edward Island, serving for seven weeks in the autumn of 1996. He was educated at Inverness District School, O'Leary Regional High School and the University of PEI, where he obtained Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education degrees. He is married to the former Deborah Foley and they reside in Tyne Valley. They have three children - Charles Christian (Jolene), Olivia (Shawn) and Dustin.

Provincial politics

He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of PEI in a by-election on February 2, 1981, and was re-elected in the general elections of 1982, 1986, 1989, 1993 and 1996. He served as interim Leader of the Opposition and Critic for Education. In 1986 he was appointed Minister of Health and Social Services and Minister Responsible for the Hospital and Health Services Commission.{{cite news|title=Oath taken, Ghiz names PEI Cabinet|work=The Globe and Mail|date=May 3, 1986}} In 1989, Milligan was appointed Minister of Agriculture.{{cite news|title=Ghiz drops three, ushers in four|work=The Globe and Mail|date=June 7, 1989}} In 1993 he was appointed Minister of Education and Human Resources and in 1994 he was appointed Minister of Transportation and Public Works.

=Brief tenure as Premier=

In October 1996, he was chosen leader of the governing Liberal party and became Premier, following Catherine Callbeck's resignation.{{cite news|title=Milligan chosen leader of PEI Liberal Party|work=The Globe and Mail|date=October 7, 1996}} Milligan's Liberals lost the following November provincial election to Pat Binns' Progressive Conservatives.{{cite news|title=Tories triumph in PEI election|work=The Globe and Mail|date=November 19, 1996}}

Federal politics

Having announced he would be seeking the Liberal nomination in the federal riding of Egmont,{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/milligan-to-seek-liberal-nod-in-egmont-1.661613|title= Milligan to seek Liberal nod in Egmont|work=CBC News|date=March 12, 2007|access-date=2015-06-05}} on November 3, 2007, at the nominating Liberal convention, he lost the nomination to Robert Morrissey.{{cite web|url=http://www.journalpioneer.com/Regional/2007-11-03/article-1384223/Morrissey-looking-forward-to-the-campaign/1|title=Morrissey looking forward to the campaign|work=The Journal Pioneer|date=November 3, 2007|access-date=2015-06-05}} When Morrissey stepped down, however, Milligan was acclaimed as the new candidate on September 5, 2008.{{cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Regional/2008-09-06/article-1276327/Battle-of-Egmont-looms/1|title=Battle of Egmont looms|work=The Guardian|date=September 6, 2008|access-date=2015-06-05}} He lost to Conservative candidate, Gail Shea in the 2008 election, in one of the narrowest results in the country.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/judicial-recount-to-be-held-in-p-e-i-riding-of-egmont-1.709120|title=Judicial recount to be held in P.E.I. riding of Egmont|work=CBC News|date=October 18, 2008|access-date=2015-06-05}} A requested recount did not affect the result, and Milligan conceded.{{cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Construction-real-estate/2008-10-24/article-1294728/Gail-Shea-finally-free-to-go-to-Ottawa/1|title=Gail Shea finally free to go to Ottawa|work=The Guardian|date=October 24, 2008|access-date=2015-06-05}}

Since 2008

Milligan is a former elk farmer and silver fox rancher. He has previously been employed as a teacher with the Unit 1 School board and Regional Director of the West Prince Services Centre. He has been vice-president of the Tyne Valley Community Oyster Festival, a member of the West Prince Community Advisory Board, the Canadian National Fur Breeders' Association, the PEI Fur Breeders' Association, the Tyne Valley Fireman's Club and the Tyne Valley Community Sports Centre.

Electoral record

{{2008 Canadian federal election/Egmont}}

References