Charlottetown, PE - The Green Caucus is disappointed but not surprised by the King government’s unanimous vote against improving transparency in relation to land transactions in PEI.

MLA Matt MacFarlane had proposed an amendment to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act that would allow the public to request IRAC land recommendations to Cabinet through a Freedom of Information request. Under the Lands Protection Act, IRAC receives applications for land transactions and makes a recommendation based on the considerations required by the LPA.

“Transparency improves public confidence in public administration, and this is the central thrust of freedom of information legislation,” said MacFarlane. “By voting against greater transparency, the King government purposefully retains its ability to use IRAC as a scapegoat for land concerns while depriving Islanders from knowing whether government itself is following through on IRAC’s regulatory work.”

“The King government is a far cry from the government of J. Angus MacLean that fought so hard to protect our Island land,” added MacFarlane. “We will continue to fight for improvements to lands protection on PEI, with or without the support of Dennis King and his Cabinet.”