Thread by @kerrywcampbell

Some reflections on the past year under COVID from the premier to get us started @peileg today.

We've got the operating budget coming tomorrow, then the house breaks for our first "legislative planning week." #peipoli

Bevan-Baker starts off QP asking the premier what he'll do to "reign in" minister who provide false statements in the house. I think both his examples are Myers. Including the time he told the house the process for special warrants is to spend the money, then apply (it's not).

And over to said minister, with a question stemming from debate around a Green bill yesterday. Bevan-Baker asks Myers what role small modular nuclear reactors will play in getting #PEI to net zero? We don't know, answers the minister. We'll be having convos with NB.

Small nuclear not expected to be commercially available in Canada before 2030, Bevan-Baker notes, so he asks the minister why he's even talking about this, when #PEI's plan is to reach net zero by 2030.

Myers says he's figured out what Greens are up to today -- they're trying to make the point that nuclear is bad, and "the Tories want to build a bomb over there." #peipoli

Howard trying to make the point that wind is cheaper than nuclear, and a proven technology. The debate keeps going back to the legislation Howard brought forward yesterday, and I missed that debate and haven't wrapped my head around it yet.

@beaton_michele trying to nail down how much the housing boom/crisis on #PEI is padding govt tax revenues. Beaton wants the province to implement a vacancy tax. We're working on it, responds the finance minister.

The percentage of mortgages in arrears in Atlantic Canada is twice the national average, Beaton says. Compton says she'll get those numbers, but says property taxes (which were deferred last year) are up to date.

Hal Perry with a Q on decision by the province to suspend COVID support payments to community care facilities. In his area, he says those facilities are looking after long-term care clients because there aren't enough long-term care spots. And they have increased pandemic costs.

Minister says those facilities have the opportunity to apply for funding if they have increased costs. Perry's questions are straddling some line between concern for increased costs from COVID and a lack of long-term care spaces sending clients with increased needs to comm. care.

Henderson hopes it's not too "politically incorrect" to ask premier a question about health care. Wants details on 3 "medical neighbourhoods" announced in throne speech. 3 to begin, says premier, directed toward areas with greatest #s on patient registry. More deets tomorrow.

A suggestion from Henderson that the govt has "given up" on recruitment of doctors. We haven't, says premier, couldn't be further from the truth. (He did candidly say the notion of a doctor for every Islander was out of reach, thus jumping onto this collaborative care model.)

King says he doesn't understand why the previous government didn't move forward with collaborative care. (They were, they just weren't particularly forthcoming in explaining what was happening.)

And the premier, who yesterday urged all parties to dial down the rhetoric talking about mental health, is now dishing out some grade-A political rhetoric about doctor recruitment & the patient registry, and what the Liberals did with this file.

.@CornwallHeath asks the premier to explain how priority groups are identified for vaccination. Wants to make a case to get blood service workers on that list. Premier says he hasn't asked Dr. Morrison to bump anyone up on the list, he's taken her advice on this.

MacDonald saying RCMP are asking to be prioritized. From what we've heard from CPHO, police are one of the priority groups for #PEI.

Deagle bringing an example of a family from his district, says a family member in desperate need of mental health support was able to get 30 minutes on the phone with a psychiatrist, and has waited months with no follow-up.

The needed therapy -- dialectical behaviour therapy -- isn't available for lack of resources, Deagle says.

Bernard making a bit of a stir in the chamber with a claim govt is defunding mental health supports for post-secondary students. Says of a $200k commitment from Liberals, the 2019 public accounts show no money was spent. And she says budget line was removed by Tories.

The education minister is insisting there will be funding in tomorrow's budget for this. She adds that she was really disappointed the official opposition didn't include students or the school system on its list of priorities.

And as QP ends, former finance minister Heath MacDonald rises on a point of order based on what the Greens just said about Liberal spending on post-secondary mental health supports.

Here I was girding myself to try to figure out what @RenewableSteve is proposing in his two bills on electricity and at least one of them has died. Now a motion from the Greens calling for IRAC to answer to the legislative assembly, which is an interesting proposition. #peipoli

I get the feeling it's become significantly harder for an opposition party to get a bill passed in this house.