Prince Edward Island Legislative Assembly, Wednesday 6 May 2026
On Wednesday, May 6, 2026, the Prince Edward Island Legislative Assembly conducted members' statements recognizing youth achievements and MADD PEI police award winners, tabled documents on the oyster industry crisis and health program reviews, gave first reading to Private Member's Bill 109 amending the Petroleum Products Act, and continued debate on Motion 3 to expand youth mental health supports. Much of the sitting was devoted to Committee of the Whole consideration of Bill 106, amending the Employment Standards Act to eliminate the sick note requirement for statutory sick days, with emergency physician Dr. Kay Dingwell appearing as a stranger in support. The House also considered Bill No. 20 amending the Lands Protection Act regarding non-resident acquisition of small 'municipal property,' questioning officials on residency definitions, exemptions, consultation, IRAC and Executive Council transparency, retroactivity, and beneficial ownership. The committee reported progress and the House adjourned until Thursday, May 7 at 1 p.m.
Members' Statements
South Shore Food Share fundraiser
P. Bevan-Baker
Celebrated a fundraiser at the Bonshaw Community Centre for the South Shore Food Share that raised over $1,000 and a truckload of food, thanking the District 17 entertainers and community participants.
Recognizing Ashlyn and Reegan Gaudet
T. DesRoches
Recognized two young women from District 21 for their accomplishments, including Ashlyn representing PEI at the Integrated Youth Services Summit and serving on the Child and Youth advisory board, and Reegan being named Summerside Youth of the Year 2026.
MADD PEI Police Awards
S. Dillon
Honoured police officers across PEI for their work against impaired driving, thanking MADD PEI and recognizing Cpl. Jamie Parsons as Top Performer and Gold Award winner, along with numerous silver and bronze award recipients.
Government's Annual Interest Costs
R. Henderson
Criticized the government for a projected $201 million in annual interest payments, warning of PEI's worsening fiscal position, projected net debt reaching $4.5 billion, and urging the government to live within its means.
Routine Proceedings
Recognition of Guests
Hon. B. Ramsay
Recognized Summerside businessman David Groom in the gallery and wished him a happy birthday.
Response to petition tabled April 22, 2026
Hon. E. Hudson
Responded on behalf of government to a petition tabled by the Member from New Haven-Rocky Point, moving that the document be received and lie on the Table; carried.
Tabling of letters on oyster industry crisis
Hon. E. Hudson
Tabled two letters dated May 5, 2026 to federal ministers Joanne Thompson and Heath MacDonald regarding urgent federal support for PEI's oyster industry in crisis; both carried.
Tabling of correspondence on health program review
G. McNeilly
Tabled his April 27 letter to Dr. Wedge (chair of Health PEI board) requesting terms of reference for a middle-management program review, and Dr. Wedge's response confirming no formal ministerial direction was issued to the board.
Tabling of various documents
Hon. D. Compton / The Speaker
The Minister of Land and Environment tabled a letter from Fitz Corcoran about owning a turtle on PEI, and the Speaker tabled the Elections PEI report on the District 2 by-election and the 2025 Annual Report of the Conflict of Interest Commissioner; all carried.
First Reading - Bill 109, An Act to Amend the Petroleum Products Act
Hon. H. Perry
Introduced and read a first time a private member's bill to adopt the New York Harbour benchmark for fuel pricing to align PEI with other Atlantic provinces and improve pricing transparency and consistency.
Motion 3 - Expand mental health supports for youth
Multiple
Debate continued on the motion calling for increased funding for youth mental health services including school-based counsellors and annual reporting; K. Bernard spoke passionately from her counselling experience about early intervention, understaffing and policy gaps, P. Bevan-Baker supported it citing Finnish and federal/provincial child benefit models, and Minister R. Croucher responded to a comment about his knowledge of trauma by sharing personal experiences before adjourning debate.
Orders of the Day
Bill 106 - An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act (Second Reading and Committee)
P. Bevan-Baker / M. MacFarlane
The bill was read a second time and moved into Committee of the Whole. Promoter M. MacFarlane explained it eliminates the requirement for medical certificates (sick notes) to reduce administrative burden on medical practitioners and Islanders, noting workers are already entitled to up to three paid and three unpaid sick days. Dr. Kay Dingwell, an emergency physician, was brought to the floor as a stranger.
An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act (sick notes) — Committee of the Whole debate
M. MacFarlane
MacFarlane explained his bill would remove employers' ability to demand a medical certificate for the three paid and three unpaid statutorily guaranteed sick days, with new subsection (9) clarifying employers cannot require a note for those absences. Dr. Kay Dingwell, as a stranger, argued work notes for minor illness verify nothing, waste health care resources, spread contagion and worsen physician burnout, and urged passage.
Questions on the Employment Standards Act sick-note bill
Multiple
Leader of the Opposition H. Perry clarified the note requirement applies even to single days and indicated support. Minister Z. Bell probed the bill's real-life application, the jurisdictional scan, and a Charlottetown Chamber of Commerce survey (48 of ~1,000 members, 58% supportive), expressing concern the amendment could create confusion or delay proclamation of the new Employment Standards Act and preferring both current and yet-to-be-proclaimed acts be amended.
Further questions on the sick-note bill (unions, timeline, consultation)
Multiple
Minister J. Redmond questioned how the bill interacts with unionized workers under collective agreements and long-term care outbreak situations, with MacFarlane confirming the bill only affects non-unionized employees under the Employment Standards Act. T. DesRoches noted constituents seeking sick-note relief were actually under collective agreements not covered by the bill and questioned the limited Charlottetown-focused consultation. Debate continued on the new ESA's move from three to five days and broadened medical practitioner definition before the committee reported progress at 4:00 p.m.
Committee reports progress and adoption
S. Dillon
S. Dillon, as Chair of the Committee of the Whole, reported progress on the bill to amend the Employment Standards Act and begged leave to sit again; the report was adopted.
An Act to Amend the Prince Edward Island Lands Protection Act (Bill No. 20) — second reading and Committee of the Whole
Hon. Z. Bell
On motion of Minister Z. Bell, Order No. 18 (Bill No. 20) was read a second time and the House resolved into Committee of the Whole, with Minister D. Compton as promoter and Lynn Trainor as stranger.
Committee debate on Lands Protection Act amendments
Multiple
R. Henderson questioned how an Islander/resident is defined (365 days over 24 months and principal residence for tax purposes), with Trainor explaining the bill does not change residency rules but captures previously exempt real property (one acre or under in a municipality with an official plan) that had grown as municipal boundaries expanded. G. McNeilly asked about consultation history, the exemption of a non-resident's first municipal property, effects on development and housing, and requested tabling of Charlottetown and Summerside consultation, which Trainor and Compton addressed by noting the bill governs ownership not land use.
Committee of the Whole — An Act to Amend the Prince Edward Island Lands Protection Act (consultation process)
Lynn Trainor
In response to G. McNeilly, officials described the consultation, citing roughly 14,000 social media impressions, 500 external downloads, media coverage and 53 submissions, and noted targeted outreach to all 29 municipalities with official plans, the Federation of Municipalities, the Real Estate Association and Law Society, with responses available to be tabled.
Process, IRAC review and transparency of decisions
P. Bevan-Baker
Bevan-Baker confirmed with officials that non-residents acquiring a second municipal property still go through IRAC then Executive Council (same process as existing law), and raised concerns that the amendments do nothing to make IRAC recommendations or Executive Council rationales public, though officials said guiding principles will be updated and published under section 8.1.
Rationale for the amendment and land ownership vs. land use
Hon. D. Compton
Minister Compton explained the amendment aims to capture non-residents buying multiple sub-one-acre municipal properties that currently escape IRAC oversight, often left vacant, while officials clarified the distinction between land ownership (LPA) and municipal land-use planning.
Narrow focus on small municipal parcels vs. large rural land holdings
P. Bevan-Baker
Bevan-Baker asked why the bill focuses narrowly on parcels of an acre or less within municipalities rather than large land purchases outside municipalities; Compton said broader land purchase concerns are being worked on ('stay tuned'), and officials clarified how properties count toward the five-acre aggregate limit.
PEI Real Estate Association consultation feedback
Multiple
Bevan-Baker and M. MacFarlane questioned the Real Estate Association's concerns about administrative roadblocks and market impacts; officials explained the initial draft lacked the first-property exemption, which was added in response to feedback, though they did not circle back to confirm the change satisfied stakeholders.
Scope of the bill covering commercial, industrial and institutional properties
M. MacFarlane
MacFarlane pressed on why commercial, industrial and institutional properties of an acre or less are caught, given the stated residential-housing concern; officials confirmed it is intended to capture all such properties, and Compton tied it to housing shortages and preventing non-residents from accumulating homes.
IRAC workload and application criteria
M. MacFarlane
MacFarlane raised concerns about the added IRAC workload, processing times, and lack of clear, consistent criteria for approvals; officials said the volume can't be predicted, more resources would be provided if needed, and updated guiding principles would be published in the Gazette under section 8.1.
Municipalities without official plans, five-acre threshold and retroactivity
P. Bevan-Baker
Bevan-Baker explored why municipalities without official plans are treated as 'land,' how parcels between one and five acres count toward aggregate holdings, and why the transitional clause is not retroactive; officials explained it would be impractical to force existing owners to divest, consistent with historical LPA transitional provisions.
Evidence base and beneficial ownership
M. MacFarlane
MacFarlane questioned the 'anecdotal' basis for the bill; officials provided a snapshot showing non-residents owning multiple properties (11% in Charlottetown, 14% in Summerside, 11% in Montague), and began addressing the definition of 'interest' and beneficial ownership before the hour was called.
Committee reports progress and adjournment
M. MacKay
The Chair reported that the committee made progress and begged leave to sit again on the Lands Protection Act amendment bill, which carried; the House then adjourned until Thursday, May 7 at 1 p.m.
This is Tabled's summary of the sitting, written from the official record; Hansard is only ever quoted at the link above. Search Prince Edward Island Hansard for the words themselves, or read this sitting in the archive.