20 questions with Hal Perry

Hal Perry was sent to the P.E.I. legislative assembly by voters in the district of Tignish-palmer Road in 2011 and has won every election since.

Although his political career started with the Progressive Conservatives, Perry crossed the floor to join the Liberals in 2013.

In the legislature, he has served as minister of education, early learning and culture, Opposition whip and deputy speaker.

Perry has the rare distinction of serving as the Opposition leader as both a Progressive Conservatives MLA and a Liberal.

We asked him 20 questions. Responses may be edited slightly for length and clarity.

1 . What is your full name?

John Hal Perry

2 . Where were you born and where do you live today?

Born at the Western Hospital in Alberton. Raised and still living in Tignish.

3 . What is one thing you would like people to know about you?

That I am not just a pretty face.

4 .What would people be surprised to learn about you?

Since a child, I have been breeding and competitively showing, horses, dogs, rabbits and poultry nationally and internationally.

5 . What is the hardest thing you’ve ever done?

Burying my parents.

6 . Can you describe one experience that changed your life?

Losing both my parents in 1994. For several years, I suffered a concealed depression. Upon realizing this, I made a conscious decision to live life to the fullest.

7 .What is your greatest indulgence?

Collecting wooden duck and goose decoys along with acrylic and oil painting by Island artists and artisans. On occasion, I’ve been known to hide some purchases from my wife.

8 . What is your favourite book?

In my pre-teen years, I looked forward to bedtime and to awake early so I could read the Walter Farley series “The Black Stallion”. I believe there were 21 books in total and I read each at least three times. Nowadays, primarily autobiographies and biographies.

9 . What is your favourite movie?

I’ve always enjoyed the plot in the psychological horror film “The Silence of the Lambs”.

10 What music do you like to listen to?

Very eclectic tastes. My top three artists are Alanis Morissette, Tracy Chapman and Meatloaf.

11 . How do you like to relax?

Take a drive, meander and explore. Walk in the woods. Spend time in the barn.

12 . What are you reading or watching right now?

Well, since becoming leader of the Official Opposition, I am re-reading the PC campaign promises from 2019 and 2023, the 2022 operating budget and reading the too frequent closures of services in our Island hospitals.

13 . What is your greatest fear?

The unknown future for my children.

14 . What is your greatest joy?

Volunteering! “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi

15 . What is your most treasured possession?

An island seascape painting by my Grade 4 teacher, Edward Fitzgerald.

16 . What’s the best advice you got from a parent or mentor?

Although I do not always follow it, don’t burn bridges.

17 . What would you say is your best quality, and what would you say is your worst quality?

I’ve been told that I am approachable and easy to talk to. I believe this is because I find people and their stories interesting.

Sometimes I have a very hard time biting my tongue.

18 . Where is your favourite place in the world?

Nunavut. The tundra gives me the opportunity of being at one with nature and an immediate feeling of peace and calm by letting myself become absorbed with the natural world. This is a place where I can sit and reflect on life’s meaning away from the distractions and demands of my regular life.

19 . Who do you follow on social media?

Friends, family and constituents.

20 . Which three people would join you for your dream dinner party?

Alive: Volodymyr Zelensky, Barak Obama and Jean Chretien.

Passed on: My parents and my brother.