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Premier Dennis King says he is following the lead of past premiers in staying clear of federal politics this campaign season.

In a telephone interview, the Progressive Conservative premier confirmed he will not be campaigning for any party or candidate, including from the federal Conservative Party of Canada.

“I think I have a pretty busy job here as premier,” King said in an interview.

In recent elections, P.E.I. premiers have avoided overtly supporting federal candidates of similar partisan stripes. In 2015, then Liberal premier Wade MacLauchlan said he would not campaign for any federal Liberal candidates.

However, members of King’s caucus were also absent from two recent visits to P.E.I. by Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer.

King said he has not issued a directive against members of his caucus attending meetings or events with federal Conservative candidates.

“I told members of cabinet to tread carefully,” King said.

King said the Island's relationship with the federal government would be important to maintain, regardless of who becomes prime minister after Oct. 21.

King also said the structure of the P.E.I. Progressive Conservative party was distinct from that of the federal Conservative party.

Both maintain different membership lists, although many party members are active in both parties. Some other parties share membership lists between federal and provincial organizations.

“We’re two separate entities,” King said.

“I don’t really have a home on the national scale. I’m not hard right, by any means.”

-P.E.I. Premier Dennis King

A recent visit by Scheer to Newfoundland drew the attendance of Newfoundland and Labrador Progressive Conservative Opposition Leader Ches Crosbie.

In Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston has said he would not commit to campaigning for the federal party, but said he would attend events with federal candidates George Canyon and Scott Armstrong. Both men are personal friends of Houston.

Other opposition MLAs have attended events of federal leaders in P.E.I.

A campaign rally featuring Liberal leader Justin Trudeau in Cardigan last week was attended by Liberal MLAs Heath MacDonald, Robert Mitchell and Gord McNeilly.

On Monday, a federal Green rally featuring Elizabeth May featured Green MLA Hannah Bell as MC, and was attended by five other Green MLAs.

Provincial Green Leader Peter Bevan-Baker did not attend Monday’s rally. Last week he told CBC reporter Kerry Campbell he did not plan to focus much time on supporting federal candidates.

For his part, King said he personally agrees with policies from all parties, including the Conservatives, Liberals, NDP and Greens.

“I don’t really have a home on the national scale,” King said.

“I’m not hard right, by any means.”

King said his own Conservative leanings are most closely aligned with those of former Conservative Ontario premier Bill Davis.

Like King, Davis presided over a minority government in the late 1970s, a period that saw significant investment in colleges and universities in Ontario. Davis would later describe former Ontario NDP leader Stephen Lewis as a close friend.

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