Island Party of Prince Edward Island | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Ahava Kálnássy de Kálnás[1] |
| President | Paul Smitz |
| Founded | 2007; officially in March 5, 2010 |
| Headquarters | Montague, Prince Edward Island |
| Ideology | Environmentalism Direct Democracy Green conservatism |
| Political position | Centre-right |
| Website | |
| https://www.islandparty.ca/ | |
The Island Party of Prince Edward Island, also known as the Island Party of PEI, or shortly, the Island Party, is a Canadian political party active in Prince Edward Island.[2]
History
The Island Party of Prince Edward Island formed after the 2007 election. The party officially registered on March 5, 2010,[3] and fielded 11 candidates in the 2011 election under leader Billy Cann.[4]
The party was deregistered when it failed to nominate the required 10 candidates for the 2015 election and did not file an information return.[5]
The party re-registered on September 9, 2022.[6] Party president, Paul Smitz, cited Liberal and PC governments' failure to rescind the controversial Municipal Government Act as a significant reason for the party re-forming.
Political scientist of University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), Don Desserud, described the party's platform as "right-leaning" with "some progressive social policy," and compared the party to the United Farmers movement.
Members of the party participated in the 2022 Freedom Convoy protests against COVID-19 public health mandates.[6] The party nominated 11 candidates for the 2023 election under leader Ahava Kálnássy de Kálnás, electing none and receiving around 1% of the popular vote.[7]
Party leader, Ahava Kálnássy de Kálnás, said they were proud of their diverse candidates which were distributed across the province, though she was disappointed that they weren't invited to any leaders’ debates.[8]
Regionalization ambitions
The Island Party sees regionalization as an attempt to unload some of the tax burden for major infrastructure on rural Islanders.[9]
Noticeably, the Island Party wants to review the Municipal Government Act (MGA), which the group considers it to be contentious, in order to ensure democracy is respected. Furthermore, to make sure that local residents have a say in how money is spent within municipalities, the Island Party proposed a vote on yearly budgets in every city in PEI. They believe that by doing so, the Minister's powers will be reduced and the government will no longer be able to create or restructure municipalities without approval from residents.
The Island Party also believes that regional cooperation should be promoted through the creation of economic development zones. Representatives from community councils and industry sectors within these zones could be elected to serve on a regional board while preserving and strengthening the Islanders' communities.
Plank
Besides Regionalization, as per the party's website, the party's plank is as follows:
- Water conservation: Preserving natural water across the island and ensuring safe drinking water to all Islanders.
- Direct Democracy: Introducing Recall elections, Referendums, and Citizen initiative.
- Land Conservation: Enforcing the Lands Protection Act and closing loopholes, and protecting natural wildlife and soils.
References
- ↑ Information about the leaders of Island Party
- ↑ "The Island Party".
- ↑ "History of Elections on PEI". Elections Prince Edward Island. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ↑ "Leader Billy Cann on the Island Party". CBC News. September 26, 2011. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ↑ McLeod, Gary (October 7, 2015). 2015 Report from the Chief Electoral Officer of Prince Edward Island (PDF) (Report). Elections Prince Edward Island. p. 7. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- 1 2 Neatby, Stu (September 9, 2022). "P.E.I.'s Island Party to be on the ballot in next provincial election". Saltwire. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ↑ "Election result in PEI".
- ↑ Jenkins, Alison (April 4, 2023). "P.E.I.'s Island Party claims sliver of popular vote in first showing since 2011". Saltwire. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ↑ "Regionalization, a proposal policy of the Island Party".