W. Bennett Campbell

CAMPBELL, P.C., HONOURABLE W. BENNETT, teacher and civil servant; b. 27 August 1943 in Montague, son of Wilfred Campbell and Edith Rice; m. 1 August 1970 Margaret Shirley Chiasson of Bear River, and they had eight children, Kelly, Colin, Grant, Sherri, Grace, Brad, Carmel, and John Paul; Roman Catholic. Campbell, a Liberal, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1970 for 3rd Kings. He was re-elected in the general elections of 1974, 1978, and 1979. Campbell was defeated in the general election of 1986 by 18 votes and A. A. Joey Fraser* claimed the riding. In 1981 he was a successful candidate in a federal by-election held 13 April for Cardigan. Campbell was appointed to the Privy Council and served as Minister of Veterans Affairs. He was defeated in the federal election of 1984. From 10 October 1972 to September 1978, Campbell occupied the position of Minister of Education. He was chairman of the Council of Ministers of Education from 1975 to 1976, and Provincial Secretary from 1974 to 1976. On 18 November 1976, Campbell was appointed Minister of Finance. In September 1978, following the appointment of Premier Alexander Campbell4 to the Supreme Court, he was elected interim leader. On 9 December 1978, Campbell won the Liberal leadership. From 18 September 1978 to 3 May 1979, he was Premier and President of Executive Council and Minister of Finance. He also served as chairman of the Regional Treasury Board for the Council of Maritime Premiers. After the Liberal defeat in the 1979 general election, from May of that year to January 1981 Campbell held the position of Leader of the Opposition. Campbell's time as premier lasted less than a year. He inherited the difficult task of trying to rebuild the Liberal party, which had maintained power for 12 years, and which had been led by the very popular and dynamic Premier Alexander Campbell. The task was made more daunting because the Liberals possessed a mere two-seat majority following the May 1978 general election, which then fell to a one-seat majority with the resignation of Premier Alexander Campbell. Given the circumstances, Premier Bennett Campbell called an election for April 1979, and the Conservatives gained power by winning 21 seats. Despite the defeat under his leadership, Campbell is more closely identified with the Alexander Campbell era, the Development Plan, his years as a provincial minister, and his stint as federal Minister of Veterans Affairs than with his short period as premier and leader of the Liberals. The small Liberal majority after the 1978 election perhaps contributed more to Campbell's brief time in the premier's office than any fault of his leadership in the 1979 election campaign. Campbell received his primary education at the Poplar Point School, and in 1960 he graduated from St. Dunstan's High School. He attended St. Dunstan's University and completed the two- year education program. From 1962 to 1972, Campbell taught in Montague and Montreal. On 6 August 1986, he became a civil servant with the Prince Edward Island government. Campbell served as Superintendent of Insurance and Public Trustee until 11 February 2000. On 14 February of that year, he was appointed Family Law Coordinator in the Department of Community Services and Attorney-General. Campbell was a member of the Prince Edward Island Teacher's Federation and the Lions Club, and is an honourary member of the Royal Canadian Legion. W. Bennett Campbell and his family reside in Cardigan. Shirley Campbell, the daughter of Joseph Chiasson and Margaret Gallant, was born 26 September 1947.