Opposition intensifies as Prince Edward Island’s Progressive Conservatives push to amend the Conflict of Interest Act, enabling cabinet minister Sidney MacEwen to retain ownership of his lobster fishing fleet.
Officials announced plans this week to modify the legislation, allowing Morell-Donagh MLA Sidney MacEwen to hold his fleet’s license while serving as minister of transportation, infrastructure and energy, and minister of housing and communities. This move conflicts with the current act, which mandates that cabinet ministers place business assets into a blind trust.
Green Party Raises Serious Concerns
P.E.I. Green Party Leader Matt MacFarlane criticizes Premier Rob Lantz for handling the issue recklessly. In a recent statement, MacFarlane expresses alarm that the premier made this key decision without consulting Island fishers.
“For our new Premier to make one of his first – and one of his most important – decisions without even consulting with the very people who this decision will affect – our Island fishers – does not sit well with me,” the statement reads. “I am concerned that Premier Lantz, while distracted for almost a year by a very contentious and close leadership race, has lost focus on what matters most: Islanders.”
MacFarlane describes the process as bungled, arguing that discussions about changing the act deserve separate consideration. He calls the premier’s mentions of high-level federal talks inappropriate, labeling them as interference.
“That’s interference,” MacFarlane states. “The integrity of the commercial fishery is based on the owner-operator independence and being the beneficial holders of the license. So we can’t mess with that on a whim. And I think it’s a situation where the premier and his government are in a situation of acting first and then asking for forgiveness later.”
Fishermen’s Association Voices Disappointment
The P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association labels the minister’s appointment troubling. Its statement emphasizes advocacy for policies supporting independent owner-operators.
Executive Director Ian MacPherson expresses surprise at the lack of consultation from the premier’s office. “We’ve always had good dialogue with the province,” he notes. “It’s a real concern that the premier has gone on a very specific issue that hasn’t been talked about or even mentioned to the PEIFA…. Certainly there’s going to be pushback.”
Federal MP Opposes Provincial Interference
Egmont MP Bobby Morrissey deems the proposed changes unacceptable, as they attempt to undermine the federal owner-operator policy. “Owner-Operator rules are critical for responsible fisheries management,” his statement asserts. “They ensure that inshore fishing licences are held and operated by the people who live and work in coastal communities, keeping the economic value of our marine resources where it belongs…. Rest assured, the federal government remains committed to maintaining the integrity of the policy.”
Minister’s Response to the Controversy
MacEwen, first elected in 2015 and now a first-time cabinet minister due to his fishing interests, plans to apply to Fisheries and Oceans Canada for a substitute operator. He has no intention of fishing this spring and views his cabinet role as an exceptional circumstance warranting the license exemption.
MacFarlane argues that the Progressive Conservatives, in power for nearly seven years, had ample time to amend the law properly. “They’ve had ample opportunity with their majority government to change the law to allow Sidney MacEwen to come in and sit legitimately,” he says. “But the way they’re doing it is unethical by bringing in the federal government to create an exception for him. And they’ve got the cart before the horse on it.”
