Minority King government passes latest round of confidence tests

The minority government of Dennis King survived another set of confidence motions in the P.E.I. Legislature, but with more opposition members voting against government than the last time confidence was tested.

Three spending bills were put to a vote Wednesday, each raising the possibility opposition members could vote them down, putting the government in jeopardy.

Four Green MLAs and two Liberals voted against government's Supplemental Appropriations Act (No. 2) 2019 — a bill to authorize $17.7 million in capital expenditures from the current fiscal year which were not included in the current year's capital budget.

Two other Greens abstained from the vote, but the bill passed easily with support from the rest of the 27-member assembly. 

That vote came after what the Greens said was "confusion" in the assembly that allowed the PC government's capital budget for 2020-21 to pass second reading without a call for a recorded vote.

The Greens said they would call for a recorded vote when the capital budget comes before the house for third reading.

Opposition Leader Peter Bevan-Baker said he voted against the appropriations bill because government didn't follow its own rules, spending $17 million on roadwork not included in the current capital budget before the expenditure was approved through a special warrant issued by cabinet.

"If we are not following the proper processes, the laws of our province, then I just think that that's not acceptable and it undermines confidence and trust in government when we're not following the rules," Bevan-Baker said.

Greens won't trigger an election

He said he expected members of his caucus would also vote against the capital budget when it comes up for a standing vote.

But he said his party is being careful not to topple the government.

"That's not something that we want to happen. We don't want to go back to an election," he said. 

Liberal Robert Henderson also voted against the appropriations bill. He cited the paving expenditures, along with an item in the capital budget itself: a government promise to spend $5 million on two rural health care hubs.

"I've had numerous questions to the minister of health, to the premier, and I can't seem to get any concept of what this is all about. Is it bricks and mortars? Is it buildings? Is it a computer system?"

Henderson said he couldn't offer his support "to something I don't have clarity to."

The 'no' that kept the sitting going

The call to bring the lieutenant governor to bring the fall sitting of the legislature to an end had already been made, and that ending was likely only minutes away when everything came to an abrupt halt.

Speaker Colin LaVie asked the house for the unanimous consent required to allow bills, including the appropriations and capital budget bills, to be put forward for third reading.

Under the rules of the P.E.I. Legislature, bills cannot be put forward for third reading on the same day they pass second reading unless all MLAs provide their consent.

"No," was the simply-stated response from Henderson, seated in the furthest northwest corner of the chamber.

That means the house will have to sit at least one more day before the lieutenant governor can be summoned to provide royal assent to bills and draw the sitting to a close.

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