Making a commitment
Throne speech promises extensive new infrastructure spending
The P.E.I. government will build a high-speed fibre network that reaches across the province as part of “extensive” new investments in infrastructure. The province will also revisit promises from previous throne speeches, including a vote on electoral reform and strategies to enhance culture and reduce poverty. These were some of the commitments made in the 2017 speech from the throne delivered Tuesday at the P.E.I. legislature by Lt.-Gov. Antoinette Perry.
The speech lays out the roadmap for government’s policy agenda over the next year. Premier Wade MacLauchlan said Tuesday the province’s current economic successes now allow government to invest in new projects and initiatives to improve the lives of Islanders.
“We’re looking at a period when we can make premium investments, when we can take steps that have been in course for some time and when we can continue to make progress,” he told reporters.
The tip-to-tip high-speed fibre network announced Tuesday will be a significant infrastructure project for the Island, aimed at “escalating” government’s plans to enhance highspeed internet service. MacLauchlan says this will be a “backbone” for internet service providers to connect to in order offer more expanded internet services to Island households and businesses. But just who will own this network remains unclear. “That remains to be seen, but government will be taking the lead on this,” MacLauchlan said.
“It will be on terms that will be competitive and will enable the private sector to participate and offer the service to the customer.”
The throne speech also announced a number of additional new government initiatives.
In education, a review will be done of student assessments “to stay current with best practices and reflective of the overall needs” of students.
In health, a suicide prevention strategy is being developed, led by the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Primary industries:
-Develop a food cluster to underline P.E.I. as Canada’s Food Island
-Invest in new product development and export for agriculture and fisheries -Extend tourism marketing to key locations in U.S., Europe and Asia
Health:
-Suicide prevention strategy, developed by CMHA
-Children’s wellbeing report later this year
-Develop legislation for legal marijuana
Education:
-Review student assessments -Strengthen collaboration with education advisory councils
-Implement recommendations of Child Protection Act review
Culture:
-Five-year plan for culture and creative industries -New creative industry market development program to grow sector
Infrastructure:
-Capital budget with extensive spending in infrastructure renewal across P.E.I.
-New high-speed internet fibre network
-New housing strategy over the next year, starting with housing supply task force
Environment:
-Carbon pricing approach, details to be announced later
-Carbon mitigation strategy and carbon adaptation plan, coming early 2018
-Direct supports to encourage Islanders to shift to electricity consumption
Population:
-Further steps to maximize retention rates for new immigrants
-Seniors program to fund practical services like snow removal, housekeeping
-Poverty reduction strategy in 2018, starting with new advisory council
Transparency:
-Re-table lobbyist registry bull and whistleblower legislation
-New mandate letters for cabinet ministers
-Review and update Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act -“Powerful” new open data platform
Electoral reform:
-Referendum legislation to hold new vote on electoral reform
-Create map showing how mixed-member proportional representation looks geographically
-Discussion document on political donation reform