Prince Edward Island Legislative Assembly, Friday 15 May 2026
On 15 May 2026, the PEI Legislative Assembly opened with the Speaker announcing a Responsible Government 175 campaign and recognizing guests, followed by members' statements on community infrastructure, pharmacy scope of practice, and Challenger Baseball. Extended question exchanges addressed provincial finances, seniors' prescription renewals, school bullying, French language supports, homelessness and shelter capacity, the IRAC review, chronic pain strategy, the beverage container recycling program, and FOIPP delays, before documents were tabled. The House then moved into Committee of Supply to consider the estimates of the Department of Health and Wellness and Health PEI, examining the Mental Health and Addictions Office (including the eliminated grant to the Alliance for Mental Well-Being), Health Innovation, Digital Health, Corporate Services, Health Informatics, electronic health records, and financial services. Officials Karen Stanley and Christine Sewell answered detailed questions on matters including bad debt write-downs, a tabled addendum correcting a $2 million physician grant misallocation, salaried versus fee-for-service physician ratios, and the paused Physician Services Agreement negotiations, with the reviewed sections carried.
Members' Statements
Community Services and Infrastructure
M. MacFarlane
The Leader of the Third Party emphasized the importance of community centres, rinks and sports fields, highlighting Cornwall residents' efforts to fund an additional ice surface at the APM Centre, and urged government to fund local infrastructure rather than investing in the NHL.
Expanding Scope of Practice in Pharmacy
S. Dillon
The Member for Charlottetown-Belvedere called for continued expansion of pharmacists' scope of practice, praising programs like Pharmacy Plus and urging PEI to keep pace with Maritime neighbours in areas such as vaccines, chronic illness management, and test ordering.
Challenger Baseball
H. MacLennan
The Member for Tyne Valley-Sherbrooke recognized Challenger Baseball, run in partnership with Little League Canada and Baseball Canada, for supporting children with disabilities, and highlighted the upcoming Atlantic All-Star Series in Antigonish, thanking volunteers, coaches, and donors.
Routine Proceedings
Fiscal management and credit rating downgrades
Hon. H. Perry
The Leader of the Opposition pressed the Premier and Minister of Finance on Moody's and S&P downgrades of PEI's outlook to negative and warnings about debt approaching the government's 40 percent net debt-to-GDP fiscal anchor; the Minister of Finance defended the government's debt management strategy and sinking funds, noting PEI sits at around 38 percent.
Prescription renewals for seniors in community care
Hon. H. Perry
The Leader of the Opposition raised that seniors in community care facilities, including 30 of 51 residents at a Tignish co-operative home, lack access to family doctors and prescription renewals; the Minister of Health said he would follow up with Health PEI to find a solution.
Bullying in schools
C. Simpson
The Member for Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park questioned the Minister of Education about Statistics Canada data showing 71 percent of youth experience bullying and disconnects between teacher intervention and student support; the Minister cited PBIS, social-emotional learning, partnerships with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, and a forthcoming code of conduct.
Education and Early Years funding and French language supports
C. Simpson
The Member for Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park asked the Minister of Education about cuts to divisions including early years and a $52,000 cut to Acadian and Francophone supports; the Minister declined to commit to reinstating the funding or provide a timeline, citing the province's fiscal position.
Provincial response to homelessness and shelter capacity
G. McNeilly
The Member for Charlottetown-West Royalty questioned the Minister of Housing and the Premier about the integrated homelessness response committee, rising HIFIS numbers (up to 227 from 210), and alleged understated Summerside shelter capacity figures; the Minister defended reporting and shelter operations while agreeing to speak with the Summerside operator.
IRAC review
M. MacFarlane
The Leader of the Third Party challenged the Premier's $375,000 IRAC review, arguing IRAC is broken and that government should instead establish dedicated land and energy commissions; the Premier defended the independent review under the Public Inquiries Act as a long-overdue modernization and rejected the proposed solutions as too simplistic.
Tabling of arthritis action plan
K. Bernard
Tabled the document 'Arthritis Action Now – The Plan to End Arthritis in Canada'; motion carried.
Tabling of UPSE president's letter on child care cuts
C. Simpson
Tabled a letter to the Guardian from the UPSE president titled 'PEI government did not consult with early learning sector before child care cuts'; motion carried.
Tabling of HIFIS homelessness report and minister mandate letter
G. McNeilly
Tabled the HIFIS report showing increases in homelessness (up 21 people, chronically homeless up five, homeless veterans up six) and the minister's mandate letter, criticizing government's approach to homelessness; motions carried.
Tabling of beverage container receipts
T. DesRoches
Tabled beverage container receipts showing recycling fees added from big box stores in District 21; motion carried.
Tabling of deposit fee chart and responsible government anniversary documents
Hon. D. Compton / The Speaker
The Minister of Land and Environment tabled a chart of deposit fees for bottle types and referred consumers to worththereturn.ca; the Speaker tabled two documents celebrating the 175th anniversary of responsible government in PEI.
Orders of the Day
Motion to consider Estimates in Committee of the Whole
Hon. B. Thompson
Moved that the House resolve into Committee of the Whole to consider the grant of supply to His Majesty; carried, with the Deputy Speaker taking the chair.
Estimates: Mental Health and Addictions Office
Multiple
Committee examined a roughly $3 million reduction tied to the elimination of the grant to the Alliance for Mental Well-Being, with officials explaining the department would take over firmly committed grants (funds returned by the alliance) though cycle 6 commitments remained uncertain and require Treasury Board approval for agreements over $250,000. Members raised specific groups (Spinal Cord Injury PEI, Adventure Group, Our Landing Place, Brain Story program) and questioned the upcoming RFPs for a new mental health strategy, suicide prevention strategy, and mobile mental health evaluation; the section carried.
Estimates: Health Innovation
Multiple
Committee reviewed the $576,700 Health Innovation section; the one-year health innovation pilot fund was not continued due to no available funding, and officials described the small team's project work on scope of practice, the Canada Health Act interpretation, regulating naturopathic doctors and stenographers under the RHPA, and pharmacist scope expansion. Officials clarified the group focuses on policy and pre-work distinct from Health PEI's transformation office; the section carried.
Estimates – Digital Health
Multiple
Members questioned the roughly halved Digital Health budget, attributed to the expiry of a Canada Health Infoway funding agreement, with much spending now in the capital budget. Officials described initiatives including MyHealthPEI, e-referral, AI scribe pilot, Connected Care, and the digital health strategy; the section carried, as did Total Health Innovation and the Total Department of Health and Wellness ($171,645,400).
Estimates – Health PEI Corporate Services
Multiple
With CFO Christine Sewell on the floor, members probed the increased consulting fees (one-time contracts with KPMG, Ernst & Young, and Odgers totalling over $10 million for interim leadership and recruitment), the $1.5 million salary increase tied to the new executive leadership structure and collective agreements, chief positions, the transformation office staffing, and the former CEO's severance. The section carried.
Estimates – Health Informatics
Multiple
P. Bevan-Baker questioned salary variances due to vacancies and added positions, the role of data specialists, and health data breaches (six reported to the Privacy Commissioner in 2025, down from seven). The section carried.
Estimates – Interoperative Electronic Health Records
Multiple
P. Bevan-Baker asked about the AI scribe (Tali AI, used by physicians and NPs on a consent-based pilot) and interoperability of health records, raising his own experience of Nova Scotia's system being unable to access PEI records. The minister noted provinces use different platforms and cited an Atlantic data strategy as a step toward a unified system. The section and Total Corporate Services ($29,488,300) carried.
Estimates – People and Professional Practice
Multiple
Members discussed the merger of human resources and professional practice into one section, vacancies (14 across the division), recruitment versus retention efforts, the nursing mentorship program, travel and training spending, and expanded return-in-service incentives (an extra $1.2 million covering nurses, midwives, psychologists and allied health). Officials confirmed the staffing efficiency review is being led internally by Health PEI finance and HR. The section carried.
Estimates – Financial Services
Multiple
Members reviewed the internal audit position (candidate identified), overspent professional services tied to asset retirement obligation, actuary work (Grant Thornton, Deloitte) and a 14-month Medicare audit pilot, staffing shortfalls resolved by an interim CFO, the Gertrude Cotton Trust payout timing, and facilities planning and travel costs.
Financial Services estimates – CFO and audit positions
M. MacFarlane
MacFarlane asked about staffing including a long-vacant internal audit position and the CFO role, which Sewell confirmed has been filled by herself; the section carried at $14,201,800.
Financial planning and audit overspend
M. MacFarlane
MacFarlane questioned the overspend on financial planning and audit, and Sewell explained it related to the Deloitte and Grant Thornton contracts plus a 14-month Medicare audit pilot with Medavie.
Bad debt / allowance for doubtful accounts
M. MacFarlane
Sewell explained the roughly million-dollar debt line is an allowance for doubtful accounts, mainly out-of-province, non-Canadian, or uninsured patient bills that are difficult to collect; collection efforts are managed by Health PEI, possibly via a Crown debt collection agency, which she would confirm.
Tabled addendum – revised budget pages 105-106
Chair
The Chair noted an addendum tabled by the Premier providing revised pages 105 and 106 to replace those in members' budget books, and read the Medical Affairs General Administration appropriations into the record.
Medical Affairs General Administration – $2 million grant reallocation
Christine Sewell
Sewell explained approximately $2 million in forecasted in-province physician grants was misallocated and moved into the General Administration line; the funds represent a PSA overhead stipend for fee-for-service physicians administered through MSPEI, with full PSA funding available.
Ratio of salaried to fee-for-service physicians
G. McNeilly
Sewell reported that as of January 2026 physicians were 51% salaried, 17% sessional, 9% contract, and 20% fee-for-service, with discussion of the overhead stipend acknowledging fee-for-service physician costs.
Status of paused Master/Physician Services Agreement negotiations
G. McNeilly
McNeilly asked about the paused MOA and negotiation costs; Sewell said fees were split 50/50 between Health and Wellness and Health PEI, with Health PEI incurring $254,000, and offered to detail paused and continuing activities.
Other business
Responsible Government 175th anniversary campaign
The Speaker
The Speaker noted that 2026 marks the 175th anniversary of responsible government in PEI and announced a Responsible Government 175 campaign jointly organized by the Office of the Speaker and the Office of the Clerk, with events throughout 2026 and documents to be tabled.
Recognition of guests
Multiple
The Premier, Leader of the Opposition, Leader of the Third Party, and several members welcomed guests including musician Isabella MacLellan and her family, UPEI graduate Shreesh Agrawal and family, and congratulated graduates and athletes such as Colin MacAdam and Jared Connaughton. The Speaker added Island family connections related to the MacLellans.
Community events and activities
Multiple
Members highlighted local events including a Tyne Valley rubber ducky race, Central Region Sport and Recreation Council activities, seniors' teas in Borden, Summerside Western Caps hockey playoffs, and the return of harness racing at Summerside Raceway.
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.