Prince Edward Island.

• Author: Johnston, Marian
• Position: Legislative Reports

The Third Session of the Sixty-third General Assembly opened on November 12, 2009, with the Speech from the Throne delivered by Lieutenant Governor Barbara A. Hagerman. This was the third Speech from the Throne she has delivered since her appointment in 2006.

In April 2008 the Legislative Assembly adopted a parliamentary calendar, with the fall session opening on the first sitting day following Remembrance Day. In accordance with the Legislative Assembly Act, which requires 60 days' notice of the opening of the session, the announcement of the opening was issued on September 11, 2009.

Committee Activity

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts met several times this fall with the Auditor General to review his latest annual report to the Legislative Assembly. In an unusual move, the committee, by majority decision, determined it would hear testimony from its chair on the issue of a local hog processing plant which had received public money. Their rationale was that the chair had specific knowledge of the file due to his position as minister of agriculture in the former administration. The committee will present its report on this matter in the fall of 2009.

New Legislative Assembly Products

Residents of Prince Edward Island are proud of their heritage. The Legislative Assembly is demonstrating its own sense of pride in its history, and its ongoing relevance to Island affairs, with a series of new products that celebrate its rich legacy and Island identity.

The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Kathleen Casey, is interested in Islanders visiting their Legislature to see how elected representatives do their jobs. She has addressed people in the gallery, as well as schoolchildren, on its traditions and on parliamentary government. Continuing in that vein, the Speaker has now made it possible for Islanders everywhere to see the Legislature close up, with a 2010 wall calendar.

The large format calendar features two images for each month: one of the familiar exterior views of Province House and the Hon. George Coles Building, and interior shots of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council; accompanied by smaller photographs of furnishings, draperies, and domestic items that often go unseen or unnoticed. "The calendars will allow people to see areas of the Legislative Assembly which are not accessible to the public," says Speaker Casey. "We think all Islanders will find the calendars interesting for historical and heritage reasons. Our...