Prince Edward Island.

• Author: Reddin, Ryan
• Position: Legislative Reports

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Second Session, Sixty-fifth General Assembly

The Second Session of the Sixty-fifth General Assembly opened with a Speech from the Throne on April 5, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. in the Legislative Assembly Chamber, Hon. George Coles Building. The Speech was delivered by Frank Lewis, Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island, and emphasized population growth in the working-age demographic, health and wellness, and modernizing government.

Budget

Minister of Finance Allen Roach delivered the Budget Address on April 19. Total revenue for 201617 is listed at $1,710 billion, and total expenditures $1,719 billion, resulting in a deficit of $9.6 million. Tax changes are prominent in the Budget: the Harmonized Sales Tax will increase by 1 per cent to become 15 per cent effective October 1, 2016, while the Real Property Transfer Tax will be eliminated for first-time homebuyers and the Basic Personal Tax Exemption will increase to $8,000.

House Business

In the month of April, Government tabled 28 bills. Notable among them are Bill No. 22, Regulatory Accountability and Reporting Act, which addresses cooperation among New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island on regulatory reform, and Bill No. 26, Education Act, which repeals the School Act and updates many aspects of the administration of education in the province.

The Opposition did not introduce any bills during the month of April, but tabled several motions. Opposition motions on the Cape Bear lighthouse, child advocacy services, Boys and Girls Clubs of PEI, the basic personal income tax exemption, honest and transparent debate, a population growth strategy, and broadening the home heating tax exemption were debated.

Report of the Special Committee on Democratic Renewal

The Special Committee on Democratic Renewal tabled its report on an electoral system plebiscite question on April 15. The committee recommended the following question be put to Islanders in a plebiscite in November, 2016:

"Rank the following electoral system options in your order of preference, 1 through 5 (with "1" being your most preferred):

--Dual Member Proportional Representation

--First-past-the-post (the current system)

--First-past-the-post Plus Leaders

--Mixed Member Proportional Representation

--Preferential Voting"

The committee further recommended that plebiscite voters be free to rank as many or as few options as they wish, and put forward specifications on how the First-past-the-post Plus Leaders...