Edward Palmer (Canadian politician)

He was elected as member of the Prince Edward Island House of Assembly for Charlottetown and Quebec in 1835.

He was often viewed as a champion of the status quo, being against responsible government, against union of the colonies of British North America, and against land reform.

Their conflict fractured the Tory party and damaged the union cause, eventually resulting in both Palmer and Gray resigning from Cabinet.

In 1872, Palmer changed parties and joined the Liberal, anti-Confederation government of Robert Poore Haythorne.

When the financial burden of a railway project forced Prince Edward Island to the brink of economic collapse it was the Haythorne government, of which Palmer was a member, that sought the union with Canada in 1873.