Land use debate turns into shouting match between PC leadership candidates
CBC
A debate on land use in P.E.I. erupted into a shouting match between the two men who want to lead the Progressive Conservative Party into the next election.
This was the second in a series of three leadership forums for P.E.I.’s governing PC Party. This one was held Thursday night in Montague.
Mark Ledwell says he’s committed to overhauling the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC), suspending Bliss and Wisdom land transfers and calling a public inquiry.
Bliss and Wisdom is a Taiwan-based Tibetan Buddhist movement. Land holdings of groups associated with the movement in eastern P.E.I. have been the topic of speculation and controversy for years.
His promises received loud applause from the 100 or so people at the forum, which was held at the Cavendish Farms Wellness Centre.
“It’s clear that the Lantz government has no idea what to do on land and on the land question. That’s why we need change now at the top,” said Ledwell.
Lantz, who served as premier for about nine months in 2025 before resigning to run for permanent leadership of the party, says his government implemented most of the recommendations in the Land Matters report.
The Land Matters Advisory Committee came up with 13 recommendations in 2021 on land use, ownership and planning.
“We have already substantially implemented 12 of those 13 recommendations that were in the Land Matters report,” said Lantz.
“They’ve either been fully implemented, partially implemented. There’s a couple that are still a work in progress.”
That touched off a fiery exchange between Lantz and Ledwell.
“The Lands Protection Act is full of holes — any lawyer worth his or her salt knows that,” said Ledwell.
“People are driving trucks through it. You haven’t done anything to close up the loopholes. Then you say that you implemented the Land Matters recommendations. You haven’t touched IRAC. People are concerned about IRAC. IRAC is mentioned in there. You’re not touching that… you’ve done nothing, you’ve done absolutely nothing.”
Lantz fired back saying he takes the issue of land use seriously.
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