Candidates call for reform of IRAC
Regulator’s role in Lands Protection Act has come under particular scrutiny
(Charlottetown)6 Dec 2025STU NEATBY
Candidates in the District 2-Georgetown-Pownal byelection say the public has lost confidence in the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission, particularly in its administration of P.E.I.’s Lands Protection Act.
The sleeper issue of the Georgetown-Pownal byelection appears to be public confidence in P.E.I.’s Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission.
All four candidates running to be the next MLA in District 2 have called for some form of review or reform of the commission. IRAC is a provincially funded regulator that oversees several areas, including the setting of gas prices and the regulation of electricity rates.
But IRAC’s role as the administrator of P.E.I.’s Lands Protection Act has come under particular scrutiny, Green party candidate Eddie Childs told The Guardian.
The act was put in place in the 1980s due to concern about control of farmlands by large entities.
“What I’m hearing most from the community is obviously a strong demand for an investigation into the activities with large landholders. And the particular concern from my neighbours and folks out here is Bliss and Wisdom. And trying to get some accountability and answers,” Childs said.
BUDDHIST ORGANIZATIONS
Bliss and Wisdom refers to a Buddhist religious grouping, whose followers are mostly based in Taiwan. Lay monks, nuns and followers on P.E.I. tend to be linked to two organizations – the Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society and the Great Wisdom Buddhist Institute.
There has been an ongoing, unresolved controversy for years about the landholdings linked to both groups.
IRAC began an investigation of the landholdings of the two organizations in February, after beginning a similar investigation of the same groups in 2018.
Until this year, IRAC did not acknowledge the existence of its 2018 investigation, despite public reporting of IRAC documents that confirmed it. This fall, the commission revealed, after receiving a subpoena from a legislative committee, that it never completed this investigation.
Childs said he would support reforms of IRAC to make it more transparent.
“There’s broad skepticism of IRAC within the community,” he said.
GROWING RESPONSIBILITIES
The issue was raised during an all-candidates forum at the Kings Playhouse in Georgetown on Nov. 26. Progressive Conservative candidate Brendan Curran raised issues about the transparency of IRAC and said the organization needed to be “overhauled.”
Reached by phone on Thursday, Curran said IRAC’s responsibilities have grown over the years. He said he does not believe the commission has the resources it needs.
“IRAC’s an entity that was created 30-plus years ago, with very little change ever since. Governance, people, the way we use land – farming has changed exponentially since IRAC’s creation,” Curran told The Guardian.
“And any entity that’s 30-plus years old, that’s intended to serve the public, needs to be reviewed on a regular basis.”
ANSWERING TO THE PUBLIC
Kevin Trainor, the NDP candidate, said many residents are concerned about landholdings of the Buddhist organizations, but said he also hears concerns about other large landholders, like Irving or Vanco Farms.
Ultimately, Trainor said IRAC’s biggest issues are transparency and a lack of accountability.
“I think that the public has a right to know what’s going on with government agencies. And the perception is now that IRAC, they don’t have to answer to the public. And I think that’s unilaterally wrong,” Trainor said.
Trainor said he would like to see a review of IRAC, but said this review must be open and transparent.
INDEPENDENT REVIEW
A media statement from Liberal candidate Robert Mitchell, also the leader of the provincial Liberal party, committed to an independent review of IRAC, as well as increasing some of the resources to help reduce rental office hearings and to support land investigations.
Mitchell is also suggesting the Lands Protection Act be changed to remove cabinet’s role in approving or rejecting land purchases.
In an interview Thursday, Mitchell said he believes IRAC needs more resources to do its job, although he acknowledged public confidence among Georgetown-Pownal residents is low.
“That’s the reason for the independent review. First of all, do they have the resources that they need to make all of these decisions and work in all of these different facets for Islanders’ concerns?” he asked.
Mitchell’s press release was sent to media one day after Curran told audience members at the Kings Playhouse debate that IRAC needed to be overhauled.
When asked whether the statement was in reaction to Curran’s remarks, Mitchell said it was not.
“I’ve been hearing these comments for nine months. And during a byelection is not when you put out your full policy pieces. But this is one that I feel we need to act on,” Mitchell told The Guardian.
