Prince Edward Island.

• Author: Reddin, Ryan
• Position: Legislative Reports

Second Session, Sixty-sixth General Assembly

The Second Session of the Sixty-sixth General Assembly resumed on October 19, 2021, and adjourned to the call of the Speaker on November 17, for a fall sitting total of 14 days. The Second Session began in February, 2021, and now totals 49 sitting days.

Pandemic Measures and Virtual Proceedings

Effective November 16, the media and main public galleries in the Chamber were reopened for in-person attendance during Assembly proceedings. Masks and proof of vaccination continued to be required. Members' seats were once again positioned closer together, as in pre-pandemic times, though plexiglass dividers remained in use between caucuses. The public and media were also permitted to attend committee meetings in-person during the latter half of November and December.

However, with significant increases in daily CO VID-19 case counts in the early days of2022, Speaker Colin LaVie invoked virtual hybrid proceedings, as provided for in the Rules of the Legislative Assembly, effective January 11, 2022. This allows members to attend committee or Assembly proceedings via videoconference if they so choose. Committee chairs and clerks must be present in the Chamber, and witnesses must appear via videoconference. This provision, as well as various related rules to attend to quorum, voting and other matters during virtual hybrid proceeds, was added to the Rules earlier in the pandemic but had not been invoked until this instance. The first committee meeting held as a virtual hybrid proceeding took place on January 11, 2022. The Hon. George Coles Building was again closed to the public, though members of the media were permitted to attend proceedings.

New Member of the Legislative Assembly

On November 15, Mark McLane of the Progressive Conservative Party was elected in a by-election for District 16: Cornwall--Meadowbank. The by-election was necessitated by the resignation of former MLA Heath MacDonald, who resigned in the summer of 2021 to run in the September 20 federal election. Mr. McLane received 40 per cent of the vote, ahead of candidates for the Liberal, Green and NDP parties. Mr. McLane's background is in business administration. Prior to politics he served as the Executive Director of Golf PEI. He was sworn in as the Member for Cornwall--Meadowbank on November 29. Seats in the Legislative Assembly are now held as follows: 15 Progressive Conservative Party, 8 Green Party, and 4 Liberal Party.

Capital Budget

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