Committee balks at investigating investor program

Opposition efforts to have the P.E.I. legislature's public accounts committee investigate the Provincial Nominee Program are on hold while it asks the auditor general for permission.

'The auditor general should be left to do his work.' MLA Janice Sherry

Progressive Conservative member Jim Bagnall opened the discussion by tabling a letter from a Chinese immigrant who was asking to appear before the committee to discuss the PNP. Liberal MP Buck Watts shot down the suggestion, saying it could interfere with an investigation by the auditor general.

"I don't think it would be a very good idea for us to even be entertaining anybody coming in here asking questions or offering their opinions," said Watts.

The controversy surrounding the PNP, which ran from 2001 to Sept. 2 of this year, began a little over a week ago. The program allowed immigrants to come to Canada by making a significant investment in an Island company, but questions have been raised about the involvement of companies owned by government MLAs, and the quality of the companies approved for investment.

Last week, 12 Chinese immigrants held a sit-in at PEI Business Development looking for the return of deposits for remaining on P.E.I. for a year. That incident still rankles opposition leader Olive Crane, who brought it up again as she pushed for the committee to take on the issue.

"It drives me crazy, and I think many other people, to think that people who invested and who are here in the province are in a sit-in and asked to leave by police escort," said Crane.

Opposition presses

She went on to ask that Innovation Minister Richard Brown and his former and present deputy ministers be called in. Liberal MLA Janice Sherry then raised the issue of interfering with the auditor general's investigation.

"Any discussion that we would have as a committee, I think, would be in direct conflict with the work of the auditor general at this time, so I believe that the auditor general should be left to do his work," said Sherry.

"In response to what his findings are, then definitely public accounts should be looking at the issues that you have brought to the fore."

Finally, Crane suggested the committee send a letter to Auditor General Colin Younker asking him to give the committee direction regarding what might and what might not interfere with his work. Crane put it to a vote and it passed.

Bagnall said there was a precedent for simultaneous investigations by a public accounts committee and an auditor general. That was the case in Ottawa for the federal sponsorship scandal. He said he would be shocked if Younker told the committee not to pursue its own investigation.