Liberal Party in P.E.I. decide date for leadership convention

The Liberal Party of P.E.I. has settled on a time and place to hold their leadership convention in the new year.

The provincial executive announced Monday evening the convention will be held February 20-21 at the convention centre in Charlottetown.

Now that a date has been chosen, the Liberal party is open for nominations and candidates have until January 20, 2015 to files their papers.

The search for a new leader comes after Premier Robert Ghiz announced that he was resigning as leader of the provincial Liberal Party and premier earlier this month. He said he would stay on until there was a leadership convention.

Ghiz became leader of the provincial Liberal Party in 2003 and was first elected as a member of the legislative assembly later that same year. He became premier in June 2007 and was re-elected in 2011.

At the time of his resignation, Ghiz said he wanted to spend more time with his family.

Ghiz, appearing on CBC P.E.I.'s Island Morning shortly after the resignation, said there are no odds-on favourites to fill his shoes.