EDITOR:
The current race to determine who will become the next leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island and ultimately premier of Canada’s smallest province has been one of the most interesting in recent years.
The ongoing leadership debates have showcased the skills and talents of the five leadership hopefuls, and how they will be able to contribute to governance. While each of these individuals have good ideas with regards to making P.E.I a better place, one only candidate – Kevin J. Arsenault – has been consistent with driving home the message that our little island province is a den of political corruption and patronage and has put forward strong anti-corruption policies that will put an end to much of the dishonesty and outright debasement that have become an unfortunate cornerstone of Island politics.
Prince Edward Island is seen by many as one big small community. And, although Islanders live in hundreds of small communities from East Point to North Cape, we share one vision for the future of our province. The PC leadership debates have brought out the usual tired rhetoric of ‘listening to the people’ and ‘making government more accountable.’ Yawn. Dr. Arsenault – an ethicist who spent many years teaching at UPEI, realizes the urgent need of restoring ethics to P.E.I. politics and has devised several remedies for doing so.
A Kevin J. Arsenault – led government will instate a recall system that would allow constituents to turf delinquent MLAs. Furthermore, legislation will be passed that forbids the supervisors of government departments to order the deletion of records, the Office of the Attorney General will be held accountable to the Legislative Assembly, and government will establish a genuine arms-length Integrity Commission.
If your car has engine trouble, you take it to a mechanic. If your toilet isn’t working, you call a plumber. The same logic needs to be applied to P.E.I. politics. If your government is unbearably corrupt, the remedy is to elect an ethicist. The next provincial election will be the most important one in a generation. If you care about the future of P.E.I., you will consider those candidates who have strong ethics when you head to the polls.
Chris McGarry,
Belfast
