P.E.I. Legislature making room for Green Party Leader Peter Bevan-Baker
Bevan-Baker says he would be 'happy working in a broom closet'
Staff of the P.E.I. Legislature are making room for Green Party Leader Peter Bevan-Baker, the province's first Green MLA.
The Clerk of the Legislative assembly Charles MacKay said there isn't a lot of extra office space in the Coles Building, especially since the legislature will be sitting in the building during renovations to Province House.
He said he will be recommending that Green Leader Peter Bevan-Baker be given the office in the basement.
That was the space used by independent MLA Olive Crane in the last sitting of the legislature and by NDP leader Herb Dickieson before that.
"That is really the last space available in the building right now with the second floor being allocated to the government members office, the third floor to the opposition members office, and then the first floor dedicated to the operation of the legislature and the legislative chamber," said MacKay.
"So that leaves us with the basement office. It was my first office when I came here. I thought it was quite a nice office space. There are two offices, there is an inner and outer office. I think it will work quite well."
He also noted it will be up to the new speaker to decide if Bevan-Baker receives leader of the third-party status and the office resources and committee representation that goes along with that. That can't happen until a new speaker is in place.
When contacted by CBC News, Peter Bevan-Baker said he has visited the office in the past when meeting with Crane, and it's just fine.
"I would be happy working out of a broom closet," said Bevan-Baker.
An orientation day for all new MLAs is expected to take place next week.
"I'm excited to get into the legislature to start to make a difference," said Bevan-Baker. "It is quite intoxicating."
CBC