Boyd Allen isn’t pulling any punches. This so called investigation by IRAC is woefully inadequate. Please add your thoughts and help us raise awareness by sharing this post.
WAGGING THE DOG #4 – Thin Gruel
Editor:
IRAC, the Island’s self-proclaimed “independent” tribunal, has had an eventful thirteen
months. In February of 2025 then Minister of Housing, Land and Communities, Steven
Myers, directed it to conduct an investigation under the LPA to determine whether
Buddhist Organizations, GEBIS and GWBI were contravening the Act. Two months
earlier, the same minister had requested IRAC provide him with their report on their
investigation on the same groups, terminated in January of 2018.
By October 2025, IRAC had not complied with Minister Myer’s request, and he had
resigned from public service. There were no updates provided to the public on the
recently launched inquiry despite questions asked in the Legislative Assembly. This led
to the standing legislative Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental
Sustainability to subpoena IRAC to provide them with the report on the 2018
investigation. IRAC, after expressing strong criticism of this subpoena, announced that
there was no report in existence of their 2016/2018 investigation. They offered no
explanation.
Mid-December of 2025, IRAC announced the engagement of a Special Counsel to
conduct their Buddhist land holdings investigation. He invited members of the public to
“share any relevant and verifiable information that may assist the Commission in
conducting the investigation” and attached a deadline of the 13 th of February 2026 on
the submission of this information. There were no details provided on the terms of
reference for these submissions nor any discussion of protection available for those
willing to provide them.
In order to clarify what process had been established for this phase of the inquiry, I
submitted questions to my MLA, Brenden Curran, the current Minister of Housing, Land
and Communities, Corey Deagle, the land and media inquiry portals provided by IRAC
and to the Special Counsel, Christopher Montigny. Both the Minister and my MLA
promptly directed me to IRAC. Six weeks after receipt of my letter and two weeks before
the deadline for submissions, the Special Counsel referred me to the relevant section of
the Lands Protection Act. I received nothing from IRAC.
The deadline imposed by the Special Counsel came and went. If there was an
extension, it was not announced. Those that were prepared to submit information did so
at their own peril. Reports from some that had, described a poorly briefed, under
resourced, unfocussed investigation. It seems that avoidance of the appearance of
conflict of interest, was of higher priority for IRAC than competence and experience.
On the 23 rd of March, two days before the prorogued Spring Session of the Legislature
opened, CBC Compass interviewed IRAC CEO, Pam Williams. Despite an extensive list
of worthwhile topics to discuss, what was presented could be described as more of an
infomercial launching IRAC’s quarterly newsletters. The CEO stated that the
commission “wanted to connect with Islanders more”. Thin gruel indeed.
In the Speech from The Throne, it was announced that the government planned to
conduct a “review” of IRAC. This was eerily similar to IRAC’s current land holdings
inquiry. There were no clear terms of reference provided. There was no timeline. There
was no indication of who or what would be conducting this review. Given the current
obsession with avoiding the appearance of conflict of interest, reviewing IRAC would
certainly be a challenge.
I would suggest two immediate courses of action. 1) Task the Auditor General to
conduct a Performance Audit on IRAC. Performance audits determine if an auditable
entity is achieving its purposes, is doing so economically and efficiently, and is
complying with applicable statutory provisions. Involving the Auditor General provides
jurisdictional clarity and assures a fair process.
2) The province must launch a public inquiry with clearly defined terms of reference (as
outlined in the Public Inquiries Act) into land acquisitions involving the organizations
cited in the current investigation, including their beneficial owners and affiliates, and
order IRAC to conclude its current investigation and hand over any documents
pertaining to it to this public inquiry.
Islanders’ justifiable lack of trust in IRAC, its dubious track record and culture of secrecy,
are few of many reasons why the current inquiry is flawed and results tainted. A
thorough investigation must take place to establish the validity of the beneficial
ownership regulations in the LPA. We cannot continue turning the other way and kicking
it down the road.
Regards,
Boyd Allen,
Pownal
