Members of P.E.I.’s third party are questioning the province’s sincerity in its urgency to solve a housing crisis after leaving a campaign promise for rental assistance unfulfilled in the budget.
During Tuesday’s question period, Liberal Leader Robert Mitchell and Charlottetown-West Royalty MLA Gordon McNeilly both challenged Finance Minister Darlene Compton on statements she made about the housing crisis prior to April's provincial election.
McNeilly noted that in September 2018, Compton called on the government to order IRAC to cancel a rental increase, which she also described as a flawed process. Mitchell said, at the time, she had also proposed a rental freeze.
“At the time, she said allowing the increase to go ahead made the ‘suffering’ worse for many Islanders,” said McNeilly, later asking, “If the minister was sincere in calling the process flawed, will the minister please explain the steps taken by government to fix this issue?”
Compton’s response to that question was that she had “asked many questions” while in Opposition."
“I will admit that. And I expect both the Opposition and third party to continue to question government,” said Compton, who did not say whether she supported a rental freeze other than to say “If it needs to happen it will happen.”
McNeilly and Mitchell also questioned why the $4.9 million platform promise for a rental assistance program was excluded from this year’s budget.
Mitchell quoted Compton as having said previously that the rental crisis required “immediate action” to help with rental costs.
“Given that concern, did the minister fail to fight on behalf of tenants when the rental assistance plan was discussed during their recent budget preparations,” asked Mitchell.
Compton said the third party had 12 years to fulfil its promises.
“A number of them, we’re working on now,” said Compton, adding that the province had collaborated with the official Opposition and third party in creating the budget. “We were late in the game as far as the budget, we did what we could with the money we had.”
As far as housing, Compton said the province would continue partnering with municipalities, the federal government and private partners to solve the issue.
However, she said it would not be an overnight solution.
“Tomorrow, we could use 2,000 new houses or new accommodations. We do not have them right now but we’re working towards that.”
Twitter.com/Mitch_PEI
