Prince Edward Island.

• Author: Johnston, Marian
• Position: Legislative Assembly

The Legislative Assembly opened for the Third Session of the Sixty-second General Assembly on November 16, 2005. It adjourned to the call of the Speaker on December 15, 2005, after 18 sitting days, and was recalled on March 30, 2006.

Changes in the House

Veteran MLA, Jim Bagnall, was joined by family, friends and colleagues on March 27, 2006, as he was sworn in as a Cabinet Minister and Member of Executive Council. He assumed responsibility for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture. Mr. Bagnall had previously served as Government House Leader, Chair of Government Caucus, Chair of the Legislative Review Committee, and Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. The agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture portfolio had been the responsibility of the Premier following the resignation of the former minister, Kevin MacAdam, in February of this year.

Premier Pat Binns also announced the appointment of Cletus Dunn (District 26, Alberton-Miminegash) as Government House Leader and Chair of Government Caucus.

Olive Crane (PC) was elected in the by-election of March 20, 2006, for the district of Morell-Fortune Bay, a seat left vacant by the resignation of Mr. MacAdam on February 17, 2006.

Ms. Crane has been a career civil servant with the provincial government since 1979 working in the Department of Health and Social Services, the Office of the Attorney General, and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture. She has been a board member on the National Council of Welfare, as well as the Canadian Association of Education. Ms. Crane and her family operate a wild blueberry farm in Douglas Station, Prince Edward Island.

Helen MacDonald (District 22, St. Eleanors-Summerside), was appointed, by motion, to the position of Acting Deputy Speaker on April 5, 2006. Deputy Speaker Andy Mooney (District 1, Souris-Elmira) is absent during the spring sitting of the Legislative Assembly due to illness.

Appointments of Chief Electoral Officer and Deputy Chief Electoral Officer

Lowell Croken was appointed Chief Electoral Officer for the Province of Prince Edward Island by the Lieutenant Governor in Council on May 9, 2006. Since 1996, Mr. Croken held the position of Deputy Chief Electoral Officer at Elections P.E.I. and is a career civil servant. His appointment fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Merrill Wigginton in April 2005.

Norma Palmer was appointed Deputy Chief Electoral Officer for the Province of...