Published May 05, 2025 • 5 minute readHannah Bell, left and Matt MacFarlane, right are both contesting to be the next Green Party leader in the party’s June 7 convention where a new leader will be selected. P.E.I. Photo by Vivian Ulinwa /The GuardianHannah Bell and Matt MacFarlane say they want to grow the Green Party of Prince Edward Island’s presence and make it a strong alternative to the current P.E.I. government.This was the message at the Farm Centre in Charlottetown on May 3, as the two candidates vying to lead the Green Party shared their plans for the party’s future and how they would address major issues facing the province during the second live debate of the 2025 leadership race.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentBell, a community advocate and former Green MLA, and MacFarlane, the current MLA for Borden-Kinkora, answered questions on a wide range of topics including the environment, health care, government transparency and economic policy. The debate was moderated by Tayte Willows.Read More ANDY WALKER: Greens make astute choice, moving up leadership convention P.E.I. Green party announces leadership convention date Bell said she sees the Green party as a home for Islanders who feel left out of current politics. She wants to build strong local organizations that are active in their communities throughout the year, not just during election campaigns or fundraisers.MacFarlane said his short-term goal is for the Green party to form the next government of P.E.I. He said the party can do that by being inclusive and growing support in every district.Environmental concernsWhen asked about one of the most neglected environmental issues on P.E.I., MacFarlane and Bell agreed that climate change is a major one, but they focused on different areas they feel have been overlooked.Article content Green MLA Matt MacFarlane said his short-term goal is for the Green party to form the next government of P.E.I. Photo by Vivian Ulinwa /The GuardianMacFarlane pointed to the lack of protection for estuaries, which are areas where rivers meet the sea. He said estuaries help hold back saltwater intrusion, which is becoming a bigger issue with rising sea levels. He also criticized the government’s failure to follow recommendations from a forestry task force.He called that decision “disgraceful” and said reforestation should be a key strategy for fighting climate change. He suggested planting trees on land that is no longer good for farming to help rebuild forests and store carbon.“I think, after you engage such a strong committee of task force to look into forestry and to come back and say, we’re not going to implement all of those recommendations, we trade strong forests for multiple purposes, but primarily for as a carbon sink, and we need to rebuild our forests.”Bell said more attention needs to be paid to drinking water. She warned that the Island’s water supply, which comes from underground aquifers, could be at risk due to land erosion and climate change.Article contentShe also highlighted transportation as a major environmental concern, noting that cars contribute up to 50 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in the province.“We can invest in public transportation in a meaningful, significant way, increasing coverage and routes and the service frequency and actually change patterns of how we use vehicles here that would have an incredible impact on our quality of life here at P.E.I. and all this meeting on net zero targets.”Health-care systemWhen asked how they would reduce the administrative burden in the health-care system, both candidates pointed to bloat and inefficiencies at the leadership level.Bell said a lot of the red tape comes from a lack of trust in professionals. She gave the example of doctors having to wait through multiple approval steps just to make a referral. She said this slows down care and makes things worse for patients. Hannah Bell, former Green MLA who is now contesting to be Green party leader, says she sees the Green party as a home for Islanders who feel left out of current politics. Photo by Vivian Ulinwa /The GuardianMacFarlane said the health department is “top heavy,” meaning there are too many managers and duplicate roles. He said millions are going to outside consultants like KPMG, even though the province already has executive leadership teams at Health P.E.I.Article contentEconomic protectionThe candidates were also asked about recent legislation brought in by the province to reduce trade barriers between provinces in response to tariffs from the U.S.MacFarlane said the legislation was rushed and copied from Nova Scotia without enough thought. He said he’s worried that opening up the Island’s economy too quickly could hurt small local businesses, like farmers and craft brewers, who might not be able to compete with bigger companies from other provinces.“We’re a small pond. We can be eaten up by some of the bigger fish, and that could include some of our smaller growers, some of our smaller breweries. So, we have to do it very thoughtfully, because if we don’t do it thoughtfully, if we just jump on board because it’s the flavour of the day, then we could be having negative consequences and creating side effects down the road that we’re just not sure of.”Bell agreed the legislation was rushed but said opening up markets could be good for small businesses, especially those that don’t export internationally. She said many small businesses only sell locally, but if they could expand to nearby provinces like New Brunswick or Nova Scotia, it would bring more money into the local economy.Article contentGovernment accountabilityBoth candidates were critical of what they say is the current government’s lack of transparency and said the Green party must do better if it gains power.MacFarlane criticized how the government handles freedom of information and protection of privacy (FOIPP) requests. He said some take five years after paying hundreds of dollars to get basic public information. He said Islanders deserve open access.Bell also said Islanders pay for reports and research with their tax dollars, so they should be able to see them. She said too many reports are kept secret when they should be public. She also said the FOIP system is often used to block access rather than provide it.“Privacy protection is used as a battering ram to prevent people from being able to access just about anything. When you get files back, if you do after five years, they’re just redacted pages of black.”The Green Party of P.E.I. is seeking a leader after Peter Bevan-Baker stepped down in June 2023. Karla Bernard has been acting as interim leader until the party’s June 7 convention, when a new leader will be elected.Stay informed: Don’t miss the news you need to know. Sign up for our newsletter today.Vivian Ulinwa is a reporter for The Guardian in Prince Edward Island. She can be reached at vulinwa@postmedia.com and followed on X @vivian_ulinwa.Article content
Green Party of P.E.I. holds leadership debate in Charlottetown
