Island MLAs get back to business with discussion on Health P.E.I. executive raises

The fall sitting of the legislature kicked off Tuesday with opposition parties pressing the health minister on raises received by some senior staff members at Health P.E.I.

According to a report by the auditor general, eight top executives at Health P.E.I. were given salaries or raises without proper approval. The audit covered a period from January 2021 to December 2023.

Interim Green Party Leader Karla Bernard said Health Minister Mark McLane failed to act on the issue earlier this year when her party flagged the salary increases during a budget meeting. 

The minister rose in the legislature to respond and said that four of the eight people are no longer with Health P.E.I. 

"These actions were actually caught by our internal controls that we have and were caught in the same cycle that it occurred and those four employees are now no longer employed by Health P.E.I.," McLane said. 

The four employees include one senior administrator who retired and three other people whose contracts ended. 

McLane said each of the employees had their own reasons for leaving. 

The health minister also responded to comments by Premier Dennis King last week that there should be "repercussions" for the situation with Health P.E.I. 

McLane said the government has sent a letter to the office of the attorney general to open a fraud investigation into the raises.

"I think that's serious and I think Islanders are upset and they should be upset that the controls in place were not followed," he said.

"I think there was some intent to not follow those policies and I think that's a pretty serious notion. Those policies are in place for a reason."

The government has previously pointed the blame for the salaries at senior officials at Health P.E.I., including the former CEO, Dr. Michael Gardam.

Gardam has said the salary increases were necessary to prevent staff from leaving for roles in other provinces.