Speaker rules Liberals will stay P.E.I.'s Official Opposition
Green Party now turns attention to negotiating for more time during question period
The Liberals will remain the Official Opposition in the P.E.I. legislature, after Speaker Darlene Compton ruled on a challenge from the Greens as the first day of the spring sitting got underway Tuesday.
The Green Party of P.E.I. had asked Compton to rule on the matter after their candidate Matt MacFarlane won a byelection in District 19 Borden-Kinkora earlier this month. That left the party in a tie with the Liberals, at three seats each in the provincial legislature.
P.E.I. has no law or rule to decide what happens in the case of a tie in the number of opposition seats. Nor was there any local precedent for the Speaker to draw from.
However, Compton learned that her peers in New Brunswick and Canada's House of Commons had ruled on similar issues in the past, and both stuck with what had been the status quo.
"Tied opposition parties are an infrequent occurrence, but the process of determining who is the Official Opposition in this case is clear and well-established," Compton said, in saying the Liberals will keep the status they had before the byelection.
"Deviation is not justified in this instance."
Greens had been Opposition until 2023 election
From 2019 to 2023, the Green Party held Official Opposition status during the only minority parliament ever to sit in P.E.I. history.
Interim Green leader Karla Bernard responds to Tuesday's ruling by Speaker Darlene Compton. (Ken Linton/CBC)
The Liberals and the Greens both lost seats to the PCs in the 2023 general election, but the Greens lost more. With a three-two edge in terms of MLAs, the Liberals took over Official Opposition status when the house sat last May.
This month, the Greens evened the score with what many considered a surprise byelection win in District 19, taking the seat from the PCs after MLA Jamie Fox resigned. After the win, the party argued that its larger share of the popular vote in the 2023 general election could justify giving them Official Opposition status over the Liberals.
Compton said Tuesday that party performance outside of the legislature was not considered to be a factor because all members are equal, whether elected by a landslide or a single vote.
Opposition perks
There are perks to being the Official Opposition, including:
- Extra salary and a government vehicle for the party's leader;
- The right for one of its MLAs to chair the Public Accounts committee; and
- An extra seat on the legislative management committee, which has authority over budgetary matters within the Legislative Assembly of P.E.I., including caucus budgets.
The Official Opposition also has an edge when it comes to speaking time in the house.
The Liberals under interim leader Hal Perry will get to keep the perks of being the Official Opposition. (Ken Linton/CBC)
After MacFarlane's win, the Greens had asked Compton to rule that they should get equal time with the Liberals even if she did not grant them Official Opposition status.
On Tuesday, she said she would not grant that request, suggesting that the parties' house leaders work it out among themselves.
'I don't believe we're asking too much'
Bernard said the Greens have requested that the house leaders negotiate on time allocation, saying that traditionally, when one party gains a seat, they also gain more time in question period.
"We respect the fact that the Speaker threw this back to us and we hope that, hearing that, the other two parties will come back ready to negotiate. The status quo isn't going to stand and we really hope they come back in good faith," she said. "I don't believe that we're asking too much."
Perry said the Liberals are open to that discussion, which could include taking time away from the PCs since their party lost the seat to the Greens in the byelection.
The house leaders in the legislature are Matthew MacKay for the PCs, Liberal MLA Gord McNeilly and Peter Bevan-Baker for the Greens.
With files from Nicola MacLeod
Who will be P.E.I.'s Official Opposition? Speaker's decision due Tuesday
No rule, no local precedent for Speaker to draw on with Greens, Liberals now tied
A new sitting of the P.E.I. legislature will begin Tuesday with the Speaker settling an unprecedented conundrum for the Island: Which party should form the Official Opposition, if two of them have the same number of seats?
From 2019 to 2023, the Green Party had Official Opposition status, much of that time falling during the only minority parliament ever to sit in P.E.I. history.
But the Liberals and the Greens both lost seats to the PCs in the 2023 general election, and the Greens lost more. With a 3-2 edge in terms of MLAs, the Liberals took over Official Opposition status when the house sat last May.
This month, the Greens evened the score with what many considered a surprise byelection win in District 19 Borden-Kinkora, taking the seat from the PCs.
There are perks to being the Official Opposition, including an extra $27,000 in salary and a government vehicle for the party leader; the right for one of its MLAs to chair the Public Accounts committee; and an extra seat on the legislative management committee, which has authority over budgetary matters within the Legislative Assembly of P.E.I., including caucus budgets. The Official Opposition also has an edge when it comes to speaking time in the house.
Deciding which party serves as Official Opposition will be the first order of business for Speaker Darlene Compton when the legislature is back in session Tuesday.
No rule or precedent
Both the Greens and the Liberals have sent submissions to the Speaker, whose job it will be to decide on a path forward.
P.E.I. has no law or rule to decide what happens in such a case; nor is there any local precedent for the Speaker to draw from.
There is a rule when it comes to declaring a winner in a district, though. Elections P.E.I. held a coin toss in 2015 after a tie vote in one of the province's 27 electoral districts. That measure to decide which candidate goes forward as MLA in the event of a tie is still on the books.
With regard to Official Opposition status, the Greens have pointed to the greater share of the popular vote the party won in the 2023 election — 22 per cent versus 17 per cent for the Liberals — as a sign that Islanders wanted them to take on the primary role of holding government to account.
Constitutional lawyer Lyle Skinner told CBC News recently that Compton is likely to refer to a ruling from a similar situation in New Brunswick. In that case, the Speaker relied on incumbency as the deciding factor — meaning the Liberals would maintain their Opposition status because they already have it.
But Skinner noted there have been other proposed solutions in similar situations, such as when the Speaker in the Yukon legislature opened the door for the Liberal and Yukon parties to fulfill Official Opposition duties on a rotating basis. (It didn't happen because the parties couldn't come to an agreement.)
Ultimately, Skinner said it's for P.E.I.'s Speaker to come to a decision in this case.
No agreement on time allocation
There was nothing to suggest the Greens and Liberals were close to any kind of agreement going into this sitting.
Normally, party house leaders meet to discuss how time during the sitting should be split up among them.
The Greens have suggested an equal division of time during question period for both opposition parties, regardless of which holds Official Opposition status.
As of Friday afternoon, the three house leaders were not in agreement. If they can't agree, the matter of time allocation will also be decided by the Speaker.
Who
will get more time to ask questions at the Coles Building, the home of
the P.E.I Legislative Assembly while Province House undergoes
renovations? The Speaker will decide. (Krystalle Ramlakhan/CBC)
"We're expecting equity with the Liberals," said interim Green Party leader Karla Bernard. "It's important for us to be able to bring Islanders' voices forward and to have the time to be able to do that effectively. And so, given we are equal, there is no reason that that time shouldn't be equitable."
No change required, say Liberals
But the Liberals say history is on their side, and are resisting giving up either time or status.
Interim Liberal leader Hal Perry said providing extra time for the Official Opposition to hold government to account "is something that has been tradition for over 100 years... It's something that I respect and I don't think that there should be any change.
"We've already been recognized as the Official Opposition here on Prince Edward Island. Regardless of numbers, that recognition should stand."
PCs promising 'good news'
As for Premier Dennis King, he said his government will introduce "a lot of, I think, good news and good innovations within the [operating] budget that we'll need to get approved and get moving to get rolling through the system."
The province delivered two long-awaited documents last week. The first was a population framework on Thursday, together with a commitment to try to maintain population growth at a sustainable pace. On Friday, the province delivered its five-year housing strategy.
.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&downsize=510px:*510w)
Also on Friday, the government announced the opening of a new mental health emergency department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown, fulfilling a promise made under the previous Liberal administration.
"Health care, housing, they're our key areas of course," King said, saying he would leave specific details on the new spending to be announced by members of cabinet. "I think you'll see some very interesting and unique funding arrangements and programs that I think and I hope most Islanders will be pleased to see."
King said his government's legislative agenda would not be as "robust" as it was last fall, when 30 government bills received royal assent. A list shared with opposition parties last week included 15 bills.
Perry said the Liberals are working on a number of private bills, including an amendment to the Highway Traffic Act that would change vehicle registrations so that owners pay only once, after they first purchase a vehicle.
Bernard said the Greens plan to introduce a bill that would protect victims of domestic violence from coercive control from their abuser, and an act to set out rules for dog ownership in unincorporated areas of the province.
Corrections
- A previous version of this story said opposition parties in the Yukon legislature rotated through Opposition status. While a rotation was approved by the Speaker, the parties never came to an agreement on how to do that.Feb 26, 2024 2:34 PM AT
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 22, 2024
Green Caucus Announces New Critic Roles and Welcomes New MLA for District 19 Borden-Kinkora Matt MacFarlane
Charlottetown, PE– Today the Green caucus announced new critic roles as it officially welcomed new MLA for District 19 Borden-Kinkora Matt MacFarlane to the caucus.
Leader of the Third Party Karla Bernard will serve as critic for:
- Education and Early Years
- Social Development and Seniors
- Status of Women
- Economic Development, Innovation and Trade
- Acadian and Francophone Affairs
- Intergovernmental Affairs
- Indigenous Relations
Third Party House Leader Peter Bevan-Baker will serve as critic for:
- Housing, Land and Communities
- Finance
- Environment, Energy and Climate Action
- Transportation and Infrastructure
MLA Matt MacFarlane and new Third Party Whip will serve as critic for:
- Health and Wellness
- Justice and Public Safety
- Agriculture
- Workforce, Advanced Learning and Population
- Fisheries, Tourism, Sport and Culture
“These are exciting times in the PEI legislature and in the Green caucus. We are thrilled to have MLA Matt MacFarlane join our team and look forward having his strong voice in the legislature as he stands up for Islanders and brings forward the concerns and ideas of District 19,” said Green Leader Karla Bernard. “A growing Green caucus means a stronger opposition that will continue to hold the King government to account and bring forward real, positive solutions for Islanders.”
-30-
For media inquiries, please contact:
Katie Rankin
Chief of Staff
Office of the Third Party
Tel: (902) 213-6378
Email: kerankin@assembly.pe.ca
https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2017/12/how-boring-is-politcking-in-maritimes.html
From: "Gallant, Premier Brian (PO/CPM)"<Brian.Gallant@gnb.ca>
Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2017 03:15:53 +0000
Subject: RE: YO Alex Johnston can you please explain this notice from
CBC to me real slow?
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Thank you for writing to the Premier of New Brunswick. Please be
assured that your email will be reviewed. Happy Holidays!
If this is a media request, please forward your email to
media-medias@gnb.camed
******************************
Nous vous remercions d’avoir communiqué avec le premier ministre du
Nouveau-Brunswick. Soyez assuré(e) que votre courriel sera examiné.
Joyeuses Fêtes!
Si ceci est une demande médiatique, prière de la transmettre à
media-medias@gnb.camed
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Green Party of Canada | Parti vert du Canada <info@greenparty.ca>
Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2017 03:16:00 +0000
Subject: Re: YO Alex Johnston can you please explain this notice from
CBC to me real slow?
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
-- Please reply above this line --
(Français à suivre)
On 12/21/17, David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com> wrote:
> What would that be if not my real name???
>
> Your account has been banned until 12/22/2017. Reason: Your username
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---------- Original message ----------
From: "Coon, David (LEG)"<David.Coon@gnb.ca>
Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2017 01:02:20 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Methinks David Coon and his boss Dizzy Lizzy
May will enjoy my comment about a "Not So Happy Dentist" on PEI the
Xmass N'esy Pas Chucky Leblanc?
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Thank you for your email.
I’m out of the office and will be back on January 2nd, 2018. During
this period I will not be responding personally to my emails.
If you are looking for assistance of a personal nature & live in the
riding of Fredericton South, please contact my Constituency
Coordinator by email at Taeyon.Kim@gnb.caTaeyo
>
or 455-0936.
For media inquiries, please contact Shannon at
Shannon.carmont@gnb.ca
Best Regards,
David Coon
MLA Fredericton South & Leader of the Green Party
Merci pour votre courriel.
Je suis hors du bureau et reviendrai le 31 juillet 2017. Pendant cette
période, je ne répondrai pas personnellement à mes courriels.
Si vous êtes à la recherche d'une aide personnelle et habitez la
circonscription de Fredericton South, veuillez contacter ma
coordonnatrice de circonscription par courriel à
Taeyon.Kim@gnb.caTaeyo
Pour toute question concernant les médias, veuillez contacter Shannon
à Shannon.carmont@gnb.ca
Meilleures salutations,
David Coon
MLA Fredericton South et chef du Parti Vert
---------- Original message ----------
From: "Gallant, Premier Brian (PO/CPM)"<Brian.Gallant@gnb.ca>
Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2017 01:02:20 +0000
Subject: RE: Methinks David Coon and his boss Dizzy Lizzy May will
enjoy my comment about a "Not So Happy Dentist" on PEI the Xmass N'esy
Pas Chucky Leblanc?
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Thank you for writing to the Premier of New Brunswick. Please be
assured that your email will be reviewed. Happy Holidays!
If this is a media request, please forward your email to
media-medias@gnb.camed
******************************
Nous vous remercions d’avoir communiqué avec le premier ministre du
Nouveau-Brunswick. Soyez assuré(e) que votre courriel sera examiné.
Joyeuses Fêtes!
Si ceci est une demande médiatique, prière de la transmettre à
media-medias@gnb.camed
---------- Original message ----------
From: Newsroom <newsroom@globeandmail.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2017 01:02:18 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Methinks David Coon and his boss Dizzy Lizzy
May will enjoy my comment about a "Not So Happy Dentist" on PEI the
Xmass N'esy Pas Chucky Leblanc?
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Thank you for contacting The Globe and Mail.
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---------- Original message ----------
From: "Harpelle, Paul (ENB)"<Paul.Harpelle@gnb.ca>
Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2017 01:02:20 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Methinks David Coon and his boss Dizzy Lizzy
May will enjoy my comment about a "Not So Happy Dentist" on PEI the
Xmass N'esy Pas Chucky Leblanc?
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
I am away from my office until January 3, 2018. I will be checking my
e-mails on occasion.
Je suis absent de mon bureau jusqu'au 3 janvier 2018. Je vérifierai
mon courriel occasionnellement.
---------- Original message ----------
From: Elizabeth.May@parl.gc.ca
Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2017 01:02:18 +0000
Subject: Thank you for contacting the Office of Elizabeth May, O.C., M.P
To: motomaniac333@gmail.com
Thank you for contacting me. This response is to assure you that your
message has been received. I welcome and appreciate receiving comments
and questions from constituents.
---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2017 21:02:15 -0400
Subject: Methinks David Coon and his boss Dizzy Lizzy May will enjoy
my comment about a "Not So Happy Dentist" on PEI the Xmass N'esy Pas
Chucky Leblanc?
To: oldmaison <oldmaison@yahoo.com>, leader <leader@greenparty.ca>,
"elizabeth.may"<elizabeth.may@parl.gc.ca>, "David.Coon"
<David.Coon@gnb.ca>, markandcaroline <markandcaroline@gmail.com>,
andre <andre@jafaust.com>, COCMoncton <COCMoncton@gmail.com>,
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<jbosnitch@gmail.com>, "Dominic.Cardy"<Dominic.Cardy@gnb.ca>,
"blaine.higgs"<blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, briangallant10
<briangallant10@gmail.com>, "brian.gallant"<brian.gallant@gnb.ca>,
premier <premier@gnb.ca>, premier <premier@gov.pe.ca>,
BrianThomasMacdonald <BrianThomasMacdonald@gmail.
<randy.mckeen@gnb.ca>, "kirk.macdonald"<kirk.macdonald@gnb.ca>,
"carl.urquhart"<carl.urquhart@gnb.ca>
Cc: David Amos <david.raymond.amos@gmail.com>
<steve.murphy@ctv.ca>, nmoore <nmoore@bellmedia.ca>, newsroom
<newsroom@globeandmail.ca>, "jeremy.keefe"
<jeremy.keefe@globalnews.ca>, "David.Akin"<David.Akin@globalnews.ca>,
Ezra , "Jacques.Poitras"
<Jacques.Poitras@cbc.ca>, "darrow.macintyre"
<darrow.macintyre@cbc.ca>, "Paul.Harpelle"<Paul.Harpelle@gnb.ca>
http://davidraymondamos3.
Thursday, 21 December 2017
How boring is politicking in the Maritimes when a Green Meanie Leader
gets booted out of the House and nobody cares?
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-green-leader-bevan-baker-removed-from-legislature-water-act-1.4459489
Green leader turfed from P.E.I. Legislature as sitting comes to dramatic close
Bevan-Baker escorted from chamber after referring to 'farcical' debate over legislation
By Kerry Campbell, CBC NewsPosted: Dec 20, 2017 9:28 PM AT
The fall sitting of the P.E.I. Legislature came to a dramatic close Wednesday with Green party Leader Peter Bevan-Baker ordered removed from the legislative chamber for refusing to withdraw the word "farce."
In the final minutes of the fall sitting, the Public Interest Disclosure and Whistleblower Protection Act came up for third reading. Bevan-Baker introduced a motion to have it sent back to the legislature for further debate.
"In the last few days I have witnessed some of the most discouraging debates on legislation since I was elected two-and-a-half years ago," he told the house.
"We were given the sacred trust to bring forth strong and meaningful legislation that will enhance government transparency and accountability .... And we turned that debate Mr. Speaker, at times into a farce."
Government House leader Richard Brown rose on a point of order, taking issue with Bevan-Baker's statement, and in particular his use of the word "farce."
Unparliamentary word
Speaker Buck Watts ruled the word unparliamentary, and asked Bevan-Baker to withdraw the word from the public record."I used the word intently and I used the word consciously," Bevan-Baker said, accusing government MLAs of voting down opposition amendments to bills before they'd been provided with written copies of the amendments.
Watts provided Bevan-Baker with one more chance to withdraw his remark before ordering the sergeant-at-arms to remove the Green party leader.
The Whistleblower Protection Act was one of three key pieces of legislation, debate over which kept the house sitting for 22 days — the second-longest fall sitting of the P.E.I. legislature since fall sittings began 20 years ago.
Numerous amendments to the act were introduced by both opposition parties, only to be voted down by government MLAs. Opposition attempts to amend another important bill, the Lobbyist Registration Act, were similarly defeated.
Water Act amended
However, both opposition parties were able to exert some influence over the most important piece of legislation passed during the sitting, the province's Water Act.'So I will not withdraw my remark. I think at times yesterday the display of the government side was indeed farcical.'— Peter Bevan-Baker
The government introduced its own amendment to the act that mirrored
an amendment circulated by the Green party. The amendment removed what
opposition parties were calling a "loophole" allowing cabinet to
overrule a ban on fracking in the province.
Meanwhile, the PCs were able to pass an amendment which requires
government to send new or amended regulations to the act to a provincial
standing committee a minimum of 90 days before the regulations are
enacted.
All told, government passed 17 of its bills in the fall sitting,
while the Opposition saw one of its private member's bills pass,
providing more protection under Workers' Compensation for Island workers
suffering from PTSD.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
11 Comments According to CBC however five comments were blocked N'esy Pas?
Commenting is now closed for this story.
What would that be if not my real name???
Your account has been banned until 12/22/2017. Reason: Your username is not keeping within our Submission Guidelines, for more information please visit: http://www.cbc.ca/aboutcbc/discover/submissions.html. When your account reactivates in 1 day, please change your username to something that adheres to our Submission Guidelines.
David Raymond Amos
Content disabled.
David Raymond Amos
Survey Says???
YUP Methinks they brag too much for their own good. N'esy Pas?
https://viafoura.com/company/
Content disabled.
David Raymond Amos
Content disabled.
David Raymond Amos
Content disabled.
David Raymond Amos
This comment stood for about ten minutes or so until I Tweeted and emailed about it
Content disabled.
David Raymond Amos
For the public record what is truly "farcical" to me is that this spit and chew is about a Whistleblower Protection Act of all things.
Perhaps the "Not So Happy" Dentist and his parliamentary cohorts should check htheir email records over the Yuletide Season and dig into their memories as well to see if they recall any conversations with a certain whistleblower who has been falsely imprisoned in Canada and the USA. Steve Murphy of ATV and everybody else knows since 2006 that he was denied the right to vote but still managed to run for public office five times thus far. Nobody will admit that same whistleblower has been suing the Crown in Federal Court since 2015 for being illegally barred from all parliamentary properties in Canada including PEI. Yet there have been 9 decisions in the matter thus far that can be easily verified from the public record. The decision exactly 2 years ago of Justice Richard Bell (the first judge Harper appointed) should have been front page news across the country. However not even the crickets will comment about it.
Do tell does that statement ring any bells over the Xmass season while I prepare to try put the matter before the Supreme Court of Canada and file some more lawsuits ASAP? Or will CBC block me again and nobody gets to even read it?
David Raymond Amos
Holly Pinkham
Better ask yourself why so few folks bothered to make comment about the nonsense? I said nothing all day waiting to see if anything would develop and now in mere minutes I have added my two bits worth matched the total tally of the comments about the article.
Sandy Brace
I meant the response above to be directed to you
Good for you for speaking up