For Immediate Release

November 27, 2025 - Georgetown, PEI

Liberal Party commits to Independent Review of the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission

Today, Robert Mitchell, Leader of the Liberal Party of Prince Edward Island and the Liberal Party Candidate in District 2: Georgetown-Pownal, announced the party’s commitment to an independent review of the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC). Alongside the review, the Party is committing to three short-term actions to strengthen lands protection and rental regulation including:

• Increasing resources to the Rental Office to reduce wait times for hearings, support stronger public education activities, and establish a more proactive approach to rental oversight;
• Increasing resources to IRAC’s lands protection function to support investigations and enforcement under the Lands Protection Act, complementing recent changes to the Act;
• Amending the Lands Protection Act to remove Cabinet’s involvement in approving or disapproving routine land purchases.

Three separate regulators were combined into one organization: the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission. Today, IRAC’s mandate is significant and covers more than ten pieces of legislation.

The failure to produce a final investigation report following a 2018 complaint raises serious questions about whether IRAC is able to effectively meet its mandate. At its core, Islanders are asking for transparency and these measures will build back trust and accountability to many of the processes that are causing concern to Islanders.

“The same organization that regulates utilities pricing is also responsible for issues like property tax appeals, land-use planning, rental regulation, auto insurance pricing, and the amalgamation of municipalities,” said Robert Mitchell. “Asking whether the structure is fit for purpose is long overdue.”

While the independent review is being conducted, increased resources to IRAC will allow it to expand its staffing and capacity to investigate and enforce the law using existing powers. The independent review will encompass the role, structure, and mandate of IRAC. Consideration will be given to whether new, separate organizations are needed to manage different areas of oversight and regulatory activity.

“Islanders need to know that IRAC is able to do its job and do it well,” said Mitchell. “Recent amendments to the Lands Protection Act are a good first step, but this approach will ensure that IRAC can not only start investigations – it can finish them to give Islanders confidence in land management.”

Media contact: [email protected]

-30-