About
Ghiz was elected president of the PEI Liberals in 1977 and became their leader in 1981. His inexperience was a factor in the Liberals' unsuccessful bid for power in the 1982 election. Ghiz was elected president of the PEI Liberals in 1977 and became their leader in 1981. His inexperience was a factor in the Liberals' unsuccessful bid for power in the 1982 election. As an MLA, Ghiz developed into an effective opposition and party leader, and by the 1986 election the Liberals were well organized. They accused the Conservative government of making poor financial decisions and of not defending Islanders' rights before their federal allies, and in the election they received a 22-10 seat majority. After much doubt and controversy concerning the willingness of Islanders to vote for a leader of Lebanese origin, the matter was put to rest when Ghiz was sworn in as premier on 2 May 1986. Ghiz's return to private practice in 1993 was brief. He was immediately appointed Dean of the Faculty of Law atDALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY, and, in the following year, was selected to head a panel to review Nova Scotia's office of public prosecutions. In April of 1995, at 50 years of age, he left the deanship to assume a position as a Justice on the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island (trial division).