New PEI cabinet has questionable list of priorities

saltwire.com · Feb 22, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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Skip to Content Home Filter by region Nova Scotia Halifax Local Sports Local Business Local Opinion Annapolis Valley Truro Tri-County New Glasgow South Shore Cape Breton Prince Edward Island Summerside Newfoundland & Labrador News Canada Health World Opinion Editorial Cartoons Olympics Business Local Business Sports Local Sports Baseball Basketball Football Hockey Entertainment & Life Food Homes Savings Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Essentials Deals Entertainment & Hobbies Gift Guide Home Living Kitchen & Dining Outdoor Living Personal Care Style & Beauty Tech Travel Guide ePaper Puzzmo Newsletters Travel Business Ads Obituaries Classifieds Jobs Advertising Advertising With Us Advertising Solutions Postmedia Ad Manager Sponsorship Requests Profile Settings My Subscriptions Newsletters Customer Service FAQ News Opinion Olympics Business Sports Entertainment & Life Shopping Essentials ePaper Puzzmo Newsletters Travel Business Ads Obituaries Classifieds Jobs HomeOpinionPrince Edward IslandJOCELYNE LLOYD: Questionable priority list mounted by new P.E.I. cabinetLast updated 2 hours agoSidney MacEwen is sworn in as minister of two portfolios on Feb. 12, as Premier Rob Lantz watches. MacEwen has acknowledged that his ownership of a lobster fishing license could put him offside of the province's Conflict of Interest Act. Photo by Stu Neatby /The GuardianPremier Rob Lantz is likely right that Prince Edward Islanders don’t want an election right now, but it does feel like the newly reinstalled premier is leading without a mandate.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSubscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsCreate an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorLantz earned back the role he’d filled temporarily Feb. 7 during a PC leadership showdown that was likely closer than he’d anticipated, being the choice of 2,889 voters compared to Mark Ledwell’s 2,542.After his victory was announced, Lantz told reporters at the convention that the close results do not mean there is division in the party.“We’ve talked many times throughout the campaign about how we will all come back together to support each other and build a better party and a better government for Prince Edward Islanders,” Lantz said.But for Islanders who do not possess a Progressive Conservative membership card and therefore had to sit by and wait to find out who a mere three per cent of the P.E.I. population anointed to lead us, it might have been reassuring to see more of a consensus.During the leadership race, both contenders had been asked about the likelihood of a spring election being called after the new premier was sworn in. Neither wanted to commit one way or the other, but it seemed clear they would rather just get on with the business of leading the province without mounting yet another campaign.“It’s an option, but that’s something I’ll think about. But I don’t think Islanders want to go to the polls,” Lantz said Feb. 7 after the results were announced.Two days later, after being sworn into the office, he confirmed it.“I have no intention of going to the polls this spring. I’m concentrated on getting back to work,” adding that his party has a 20-member caucus and has a mandate to continue governing.With the legislature set to resume sitting March 24, Lantz has given some clues to what “getting back to work” means, and not all of it seems to align with the wishes of citizens I’ve spoken to.During a cabinet shuffle on Feb. 12, Lantz realigned a couple of portfolios, separating land from housing and communities and putting it together with environment, which seems to make sense. The word “climate,” however, is gone altogether from any ministry, which follows a trend nationally and internationally where governments no longer appear to even want to give lip service to the changing climate.Then the premier loaded up housing and communities on to the same minister who will look after transportation, infrastructure and energy. Before that minister can sign an order paper, however, laws have to change to accommodate his appointment.Sidney MacEwen, who was elected in 2015 with the opposition PCs and in government with them since 2019, has never held a cabinet portfolio because laws around fishing licences mean he can’t put his business in a blind trust. Essentially, provincial rules say he can’t run a business while in cabinet and federal rules say he can’t have a fishing licence if he’s not involved in the operation.Lantz says he’s working to change that, intimating he’s prepared to amend the provincial Conflict of Interest Act while also working on Ottawa to arrange an exemption for MacEwen. Considering MacEwen’s giant cabinet portfolio, it seems he must be pretty confident one or both of these tactics will work.Lantz told the CBC he has “spoken to people at the highest level of the federal government” about exempting the owner-operator rule for MacEwen.I’m sure I’m not the only Islander gobsmacked that if Lantz has the ear of the “highest level” he would use that influence to lobby for MacEwen rather than the many other items affecting Island lives. The same goes for prioritizing amending the provincial act. If government has the ability to work this swiftly (it has to happen within the first 60 days of office) on this issue, I’m sure we can rustle up a list of other areas that need urgent attention.To be fair, Lantz’s stated first priority is one we can get on board with — shoring up P.E.I.’s energy sources so that we’re not all left in the dark as demand outpaces our power capacity. Other P.E.I. priorities, however, could also use a little more attention.The department of health and wellness has been handed to an interim minister while the government awaits the return of Mark McLane from his own health treatment. Cory Deagle is a “minister without portfolio” acting as minister of health and wellness. Of course we are all hoping for McLane’s full and speedy recovery, however this is too important a ministry to be passed back and forth in this manner. As well, P.E.I. will run another large deficit this fiscal year, projected at $367 million, along with rising debt. There was no signal in the recent cabinet shuffle that much will change, with Minister of Finance Jill Burridge retaining her role. At least she isn’t also still expected to be a quasi minister of health during McLane’s absence.Given the state of P.E.I.’s finances and the fact that Islanders would like to see some stability in these crucial files, it is true that another provincial election is not the prudent move right now. However, if this government is going to carry on without the confidence of winning a general vote, we’ll need to see more evidence Lantz and his team know what’s important to the majority of Islanders.Jocelyne Lloyd is managing editor of The Guardian. She lives in Charlottetown.This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.