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In his speech, MacLauchlan called the Progressive Conservatives a party of chaos and opposition — saying they’ve had five leaders in four years — and suggested the Greens would be too risky.

“The Green Party is untested, and the future of our province is too important to risk on uncertain expensive social experiments, led by a career politician,” he said.

Green Leader Peter Bevan-Baker, a dentist, became the first party member elected to the legislature in 2015, and the Greens snagged a second seat in a 2017 byelection.

A Corporate Research Associates poll released this month suggests the Greens had a healthy lead, followed by the Progressive Conservatives, who picked a new leader, Dennis King, in February.

The Liberals were in third place, the poll suggests.

The Liberals have been in power since 2007, and there are signs MacLauchlan — a longtime academic who began his political career in 2015 as premier — is personally unpopular.

“It’s about people. It’s about you — and it’s about time that the government of the people of P.E.I. understand, respect and live by that message,” the PC party said in a tweet as MacLauchlan was making his election call.

The Greens, meanwhile, posted a clip Tuesday night of Bevan-Baker playing “First Call” on his trumpet.

“What a wonderful way to begin the writ period — with a blast from Peter’s trumpet,” the party said on Facebook.

In his speech, MacLauchlan touted advancements made by his government on housing, lower taxes and reducing child poverty by more than half.