WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Where in the world is P.E.I.’s democratic renewal committee?

P.E.I.’s democratic renewal committee seems to have disappeared

Remember the Special Committee on Democratic Renewal?

It seemed to disappear after the plebiscite on electoral reform.

But it wasn’t supposed to. It was created to “guide public engagement and make recommendations” on the contents of Premier Wade MacLauchlan’s white paper on democratic renewal.

The committee did hold two rounds of public consultations on electoral reform in 2015 and 2016 and determined the five electoral options for the plebiscite.

But, electoral reform was only one change proposed in the premier’s white paper.

So, the question is: Why hasn’t the committee moved forward on discussing the other proposed changes in the white paper?

Because there were, indeed, other proposed changes. Let’s refresh our memories. — The white paper promised “engagement” on increasing the participation of women, Aboriginal Islanders, Islanders with disabilities and visible and linguistic minorities in the legislature.

— It suggested reviewing the legislative schedule, notably evening sessions, to see how changes could help increase diversity in the house.

— It promised public engagement on “levelling the playing field” when it comes to campaign financing, floating the notion of introducing caps or an outright ban on corporate and union donations to political parties.

— It also said the Special Committee on Democratic Renewal would “inform the work of the Electoral Boundaries Commission.”

But the Special Committee on Democratic Renewal has not held any public meetings on any of these topics and has had no involvement in the work of the boundaries commission.

The committee’s only public meetings were on electoral reform in the fall of 2015 and winter of 2016.

No public meetings have been held since March 1, 2016.

But that doesn’t mean the committee wasn’t meeting.

It turns out the Special Committee on Democratic Renewal has had five closed-door meetings over the last year. They were held in camera, which means the public cannot attend and MLAs cannot disclose what was discussed.

The most recent meeting was on Tuesday of this week, where the committee met to discuss its report to the legislature.

However, before it is even tabled, one member of the committee is already crying foul over how that committee has been operating and over this upcoming report.

Last week, PC MLA Sidney MacEwen says he told the chairman, government whip Jordan Brown, he didn’t think the committee had fulfilled its mandate, noting the lack of public consultations on election financing.

He requested a public meeting to discuss this, which was supported by Green Leader Peter Bevan-Baker.

The next day, Premier Wade MacLauchlan appointed government house leader Richard Brown to the committee to replace Janice Sherry, who resigned as an MLA in August of last year and whose place on the committee has been vacant ever since.

Despite MacEwen’s request, the meeting Tuesday went ahead in camera and with a newly restored Liberal majority.

The committee’s report to the legislature, complete with any recommendations, was finalized.

“It is safe to say I am not happy at all with the final report or the process that led to it, and I will speak to the reasons why when it is tabled this week in the legislature,” MacEwen said Wednesday.

The premier has already announced what will happen on campaign financing (no corporate bans, only caps), and the Electoral Boundaries Commission has already completed its consultations — all without the Special Committee on Democratic Renewal.

It begs two questions: Why wasn’t this committee involved in those decisions and what is now left for the committee to do? Teresa Wright is The Guardian’s chief political reporter. She can be reached at twright@theguardian.pe.ca. Follow her tweets from the legislature at Twitter. com/GuardianTeresa.