Greens shrug at province's pledge to review IRAC, say 'decisive action' needed instead

The P.E.I. government committed to do a review of the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission, but the Green Party says it's a process that likely won't get finished before the next provincial election.

The review was one of many plans the Progressive Conservative government laid out Wednesday in its speech from the throne, which kicked off the spring sitting of the legislative assembly.

In the speech, read by Lt.-Gov. Wassim Salamoun, government said IRAC has taken on more responsibility as a regulatory body — looking at issues like around land, energy and rental properties — and the province wants to ensure the regulator's role is "clear, focused and working in the public interest."

"Our government will launch a review of IRAC to ensure its mandate, structure, and processes reflect the needs of Islanders today and into the future," Salamoun read from the speech.

"This work will include engagement with Islanders and focus on improving transparency, strengthening public confidence, and ensuring decisions are grounded in clear and consistent policy."

The Greens have been calling for more transparency from IRAC, but said government should act instead of launching a review.

"When a government is tired and running out of ideas and not able to take action on something, what's it do? It orders a report or it orders a study or establishes a committee, and that's what we're seeing here with IRAC," Green Party Leader Matt MacFarlane told CBC News.

"There's enough information on the table now with respect to IRAC that we could be moving forward with some more decisive action … not ordering a study on IRAC that's not going to get done before the next election."

The province said it also plans to make it more clear how IRAC makes its regulatory decisions, and make existing policies and criteria "more accessible" to Islanders.

The workings of IRAC have long been questioned by P.E.I.'s political parties.

Last fall, the topic dominated the fall sitting of the legislature after MLAs learned a 2018 land report from IRAC didn't actually exist.

Lantz also said during the fall sitting that his government was looking at a "new model" in how poeple are appointed to the commission.

Critics of IRAC have questioned the appointments for years.

Some staff members of past governments have been given key positions, including current chair and CEO Pamela Williams — who was chief of staff to former premier Dennis King — and vice-chair Kerri Carpenter, a former PC committee member.