PEIThe P.E.I. Liberals are accusing the Lantz government of ignoring the auditor general’s warnings about the province’s growing debt and of having “lost control” of Prince Edward Island’s finances. Government needs to make investments now ‘to stand up to pressures… in the future,’ finance minister saysRyan McKellop · CBC News · Posted: Nov 20, 2025 1:45 PM EST | Last Updated: 3 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Opposition accuses Lantz government of ignoring debt warnings, finance minister promises planThe Official Opposition is accusing the Lantz government of ignoring the auditor general’s warnings about the province’s growing debt, which is now more than $3 billion. The finance minister told the legislature Thursday that a plan is coming to deal with it. CBC’s Wayne Thibodeau reports.The P.E.I. Liberals are accusing the Lantz government of ignoring the auditor general’s warnings about the province’s growing debt and of having “lost control” of Prince Edward Island’s finances. The province’s debt is currently more than $3 billion.”Why is your government ignoring calls from the auditor general and continuing down a path of fiscal recklessness?” Opposition Leader Hal Perry asked during question period in the legislature Thursday. Finance Minister Jill Burridge said government is listening to the province’s AG.”Our fiscal anchor is net debt to GDP. It’s 32.6 right now,” she said.”I’m not trying to paint a rosy picture here. We have significant pressures on us as a government right now, and we are managing through that. We’ll have a debt strategy coming here shortly.””I never in my life would have imagined that a government could be so careless about the Island’s future,” Perry said.”This minister will go down as the most irresponsible and the least transparent financial minister in recent history.”But Burridge said that while government is doing everything it can to manage the fiscal pressures, there are programs and services that are needed — for Islanders now, and for future generations.P.E.I. Finance Minister Jill Burridge faced questions about the province’s growing debt during question period Thursday. (Legislative Assembly of P.E.I.)”We’re at a point that if we don’t make these investments, we’re actually sacrificing a huge piece of their futures. We need to make these investments now in order to stand up to the pressures that they’re going to see in the future.”Speaking to reporters after question period, Burridge said there is a debt management plan currently in place. “But I think what we’re looking to do is enhance that, given our fiscal situation right now, we’re taking on more debt than we have in the past, so I think it’s reasonable to expect that we would make that more robust.”Burridge did not provide a date for when Islanders can expect to see that debt strategy.Call for a Sunshine ListBurridge also faced questions from Green Party MLA Peter Bevan-Baker about the creation of a Sunshine List, an annual list of public sector employees who have high salaries. P.E.I.’s auditor general has called for one.Most Canadian provinces, outside of P.E.I. and Quebec, have some sort of list. Ontario’s Sunshine List requires the disclosure of any public sector employees with salaries of $100,000 or more. “The minister of finance has shown herself to be sometimes difficult to spend money to help everyday Islanders, but when an executive position opens up for $200,000, or $300,000 there seems to be no problem making the money flow,” Bevan-Baker said during question period. “Islanders deserve to see where their money is being spent. Will you commit to implementing a Sunshine List so that Islanders can see where their tax dollars are going?”Green Party MLA Peter Bevan-Baker says a Sunshine List for P.E.I. would increase government accountability. (Legislative Assembly of P.E.I.)Burridge said there has to be a balance between transparency and privacy.The province does publish a list of every position and salary range, but that list does not include specific names or salaries.”If we do a Sunshine List, you know, that could be your neighbour,” Burridge told reporters after question period. “I think it is prudent upon us to protect that privacy, given our population size.”LISTEN | Auditor General wants to introduce a sunshine list on P.E.I.:Island Morning8:45Auditor General wants to introduce a Sunshine List on P.E.I.P.E.I.’s Auditor General, Darren Noonan, thinks Islanders should know how much top public sector officials are bringing home every year. He tells us more about the purpose of a Sunshine List.Bevan-Baker told reporters a Sunshine List would be an important exercise in accountability. “It’s not about shining a light on, you know, the folks who are earning $40,000, $50,000, $60,000. These are [for] the high earning folks.” Bevan-Baker said he’s not advocating for a specific salary to start at, though $100,000 would be a “decent” place to start. The issue of a Sunshine List went to the P.E.I. Supreme Court’s trial division in 2004, when the Eastern Graphic wanted to publish a list of the Workers Compensation Board’s employees and salaries. The board refused. P.E.I.’s privacy commissioner ruled that would be “an unreasonable invasion” of the employee’s privacy, and the courts sided with the privacy commissioner.ABOUT THE AUTHORRyan McKellop is a graduate of the Holland College journalism program and is working as an Associate Producer and Web Writer. Got a story idea? Email ryan.mckellop@cbc.caWith files from Wayne Thibodeau
P.E.I. Liberals accuse government of ‘fiscal recklessness’ and ignoring warnings about growing debt
