 In March 1993, Connolly was re-elected as MLA for the Charlottetown Riding of 6th Queens and appointed to a Cabinet Committee for Public Consultation, later serving as Minister of Higher Education in the Catherine Callbeck Government.He was also appointed a commissioner for the PEI Electoral Reform Commission, mandated under the Public Enquiries Act to review and recommend changes to PEI's electoral boundaries.In 1996 Connolly was re-elected to a fifth consecutive term as the MLA for the newly created single member district of Charlottetown-Rochford Square.