Liberals not adjusting to 'new style of politics,' charges P.E.I.'s minority premier

P.E.I. Premier Dennis King says the Liberal Party is having trouble adapting to the new style of politics required in a minority legislature.

The premier shared that observation in the midst of yet another question period in which both opposition parties took the PCs to task over commitments the party made in the recent election campaign which did not appear in either the province's budget or government's throne speech.

"I find a trend coming here from the third party," King told the legislature. "I think it's their hesitancy to adjust to the new style of politics that Islanders want us to play."

The Apr. 23 election gave King's PCs a minority government with 12 out of 27 seats in the legislature. The Greens emerged as the Official Opposition with 8 seats. After 12 years in government, the Liberals were demoted to third party status with 6 seats.

One more seat will be decided in a deferred election July 15.

Liberals pick off PC commitments

"How many recommendations from your platform have not been implemented?" King asked former Liberal finance minister Heath MacDonald.

On this day the Liberals asked the PCs about commitments in their campaign platform to offer intravenous cancer treatment in each P.E.I. county and to provide a $500 wellness and activity tax rebate.

The Greens, meanwhile, asked about PC commitments to offer incentives for electric vehicles and to implement targets for renewable energy.

"It didn't say in the platform we're going to deliver this on June 27, give us time to get there," said King.

'We're all the government'

"We're not the government," he said, launching into the now-familiar topic of the need for collaboration among the three parties in the legislature.

"We're all the government. This is a minority government, and Islanders want us to work together so there's a lot in our platform that hasn't been implemented. There are lots in the Green platform that hasn't been implemented. There's a whole lot from [the Liberal platform] that have not been implemented, but guess what? We're all trying to work together."

MacDonald responded: "This is new in a collaborative government, but prior to this it was old-time politicsWhat they've done is they've promised the world and now they're not going to deliver and they're hoping Islanders forget."

On Wednesday the Liberals asked the PCs about their commitment to invest $5 million in a women's health fund, including $1.325 million in the first year. The previous Friday, they asked about delays in implementing a new school meal program.

After question period Thursday, interim Liberal leader Robert Mitchell shared his opinion that it is, in fact, the PC's government.

And while both opposition parties were consulted by the PCs on their budget priorities, Mitchell said the Liberals and the Greens have both concluded "there wasn't a lot reflected" in the budget from what those parties put forward.

"Those were [King's] promises. This is his government and this was his budget this week. So certainly Islanders were hoping to see many of those campaign promises reflected."

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