Prince Edward Island.

• Author: Johnston, Marian
• Position: Legislative Reports

The Fourth Session of the Sixty-third General Assembly adjourned to the call of the Speaker on December 9, 2010, after 16 sitting days. A total of 33 bills received Royal Assent at the conclusion of the sitting.

Among them: The Electric Power (Electricity-Rate Reduction) Amendment Act (Bill No. 25) makes a number of amendments to recognize and facilitate the implementation of the Prince Edward Island Energy Accord, a major component of which is the guarantee of an average 14 per cent rate reduction for electricity to Island consumers, starting in March 2011 and to remain in place until the spring of 2013.

An Act to Amend the School Act (Bill No. 31) provides the ability for the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development to appoint an official trustee to conduct the affairs of a school board, and investigate the condition of a school board, including the actions of school trustees. The legislation follows much media and community comment regarding the functioning of one of the province's three school boards.

An Act to Amend the Retail Business Holidays Act (Bill No. 100), a private member's bill, introduced by Olive Crane, Leader of the Opposition, allows retailers in the province to open on Sundays year round. Starting in January of this year, retail businesses are permitted to open at 12 noon on Sundays, although they must still close on designated holidays, regardless of the day of the week on which those holidays fall. Prior to passage of the bill, many retailers were limited to remaining open on Sundays between Victoria Day weekend and late December. Passage of the bill marks the end of a long debate in the province about the merits of Sunday shopping, which had proponents arguing that consumers demand this service, while others favoured Sunday as a day of rest or worship.

Casting Votes of the Speaker

On November 25, 2010, Bill No. 100, was reported as agreed to without amendment from the Committee of the Whole, and a recorded division was sought on the motion for adoption of the committee report. There was an equality of votes, which required Speaker Kathleen Casey to make her first casting vote since taking office in July 2007. She voted in favour of the motion, and advised the House that she did so in order to preserve the possibility that the matter might somehow be brought back in the future and be decided by the majority of the House.

Speaker Casey had occasion again to cast the deciding vote on November 30, 2010, as...