Prince Edward Island Legislative Assembly, Thursday 21 May 2026
During this sitting of the PEI Legislative Assembly, members offered greetings and recognitions and delivered Members' Statements honouring the St. Eleanors Lions Club, addressing online political attacks, and advancing equality in women's sports, while the Minister of Finance responded to a question taken as notice on Point Deroche assessments. Several documents were tabled, including oyster seed import details and reports from the Child and Youth Advocate on the 2026-2027 budget. The House then resolved into Committee of the Whole to consider Estimates, beginning with the Department of Justice and Public Safety, where M. MacFarlane questioned officials on community legal clinic funding and an underspent grant line and pressed the Minister to table documents related to legal advice on wetland permitting in Summerside.
Members' Statements
St. Eleanors Lions Club 65th anniversary
H. MacLennan
MacLennan recognized the St. Eleanors Lions Club on its 65 years of service, noting over $2 million donated to charities, the PCH equipment drive including member Robbie Burt's fundraising hike, and the club's role as a community hub.
Addressing political attacks
S. MacEwen
MacEwen raised concern about degrading and threatening online comments directed at politicians, urging all Islanders to call out hateful rhetoric and elected officials to lead by example in maintaining respectful discourse.
Equality for women's sports
S. Dillon
Dillon recognized Island female athletes and advocates such as Sarah MacEachern, Megan Mossey, Hannah Taylor, Ellen MacNearney, and Barb Carmichael, and called for equity in funding, facilities, and coaching to advance true equality in women's and girls' sport.
Routine Proceedings
Response to question taken as notice - Point Deroche assessment
Hon. J. Burridge
The Minister of Finance reported that the Point Deroche property is currently assessed as vacant since it remains at foundation level and has not met the completion threshold, and its assessment will be adjusted as construction progresses.
Tabling of oyster seed import details
Hon. E. Hudson
The Minister of Fisheries, Rural Development and Tourism tabled information on the oyster seed being imported by Atlantic Aqua Farms and the associated timeline.
Tabling of Child and Youth Advocate documents
K. Bernard
Bernard tabled a letter and report from the Child and Youth Advocate raising concerns about the 2026-2027 PEI budget, its budgeting process, absence of a children's rights lens, and calls to prioritize children and youth in budget decisions.
Community legal clinic funding and grant line underspending
M. MacFarlane
MacFarlane questioned officials about a community legal clinic run by CLI, learning it is in the staffing process and hoping to open early summer, and asked why the grant line was underspent by $130,000; officials explained only $114,000 of the $250,000 budgeted was needed as the clinic was still in the conceptual design phase and not fully operational.
Legal services and document tabling re: Summerside wetland permitting
M. MacFarlane
MacFarlane asked whether spending on retaining a legal opinion related to the former Minister of Environment and wetland permitting in Summerside was in this budget section, and requested the tabling of related documents previously sought in the House; officials said the spend was not in Justice's budget and Minister Thompson said she would look into the documents but noted it was not a budget question.
Orders of the Day
Estimates - Justice and Public Safety (Committee of the Whole)
Multiple
The House resolved into Committee of the Whole to consider Estimates for Justice and Public Safety with witness Bobbi Lawlor-White; discussion covered the solicitor pay scale review, amicus curiae funding, a new bail supervision program (seven positions aimed at reducing high remand rates), and grants for the community legal clinic funded jointly with the law foundation.
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.