Wade MacLauchlan

Early life, education and career

MacLauchlan was born on 10 December 1954, the third of five children born to Harry and Marjorie MacLauchlan in Stanhope, Prince Edward Island. His father was a successful businessman who made his wealth in a number of ventures including pulpwood, heavy construction, golf, cable television, tourism, oil and gas distribution, and real estate. MacLauchlan earned an undergraduate Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Prince Edward Island and went on to earn a Bachelor of Laws from the University of New Brunswick and a Master of Laws from Yale University. He worked as a law professor at Dalhousie University before becoming dean of the law school at the University of New Brunswick.

UPEI President

MacLauchlan was president of the University of Prince Edward Island from 1999 to 2011. During his tenure, he helped the university raise millions of dollars for research and development and oversaw a doubling of enrollment to 4,500 students. He was previously dean of the law school of the University of New Brunswick and a law professor at Dalhousie University.

MacLauchlan has been criticized for a 2006 decision as president of the University of PEI when he banned from campus an edition of the student newspaper, The Cadre, which reprinted controversial Danish cartoons of Muhammad. In a statement, MacLauchlan said that the newspaper's edition, which had re-published political cartoons depicting a prophet of Islam, was "a reckless invitation to disorder." The Canadian Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship issued a statement describing MacLauchlan's actions as "contrary to the duty of all university presidents to maintain their campuses as places where debate of controversial issues may take place."

Political career

On November 28, 2014, MacLauchlan announced his candidacy for the leadership of the governing Prince Edward Island Liberal Party. He was the sole candidate at the close of nominations on January 20, 2015 and was acclaimed leader on February 21, 2015.

He was sworn in as the 32nd Premier of Prince Edward Island, on February 23, 2015. MacLauchlan is the first member of the Order of Canada to become premier of a province, the first openly gay Premier of Prince Edward Island, and the first openly gay man to be premier of a province.

MacLauchlan's Liberals won a majority in the 2015 general election. He won election as MLA for York-Oyster Bed, a seat previously held by his (now) chief of staff Robert Vessey.

Personal life

MacLauchlan is openly gay; his partner is Duncan McIntosh, founding artistic director of the Watermark Theatre.

MacLauchlan has chaired the Palmer Conference on Public Sector Leadership in 2012: Canada as a Leader in Immigration Policy and Practice, and co-chaired the 2013 Georgetown Conference: Redefining Rural. He also wrote Alex B. Campbell: The Prince Edward Island Premier Who Rocked the Cradle, a biography of Alex Campbell.

Honours

MacLauchlan was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 2008, of the Order of Prince Edward Island in 2014, and in 2010 receiving the Institute of Public Administration of Canada's IPAC Award for Excellence in Public Service. He is the first person to have become a Member of the Order of Canada prior to becoming a provincial premier.