What’s Needed This Session

What’s Needed This Session – Part 1

November 14, 2018/Joe Byrne

Joe Byrne outlines NDP-PEI priorities as the Legislature meets

The house opened yesterday (November 13), and we’re about to see how the MacLauchlan Government is going to position itself for an upcoming election.

During this Session there are two main issues which the NDP-PEI wants to address: first, the crisis that island farmers are facing; second, the matters of poverty and housing. Let me come back to the second one in a separate post.

Snow fell today as the Legislature began sitting, and a significant portion of the Island’s potato crop is still in the cold, wet ground. We are conscious that other produce — soy beans, carrots, cole crops — may also be affected. It’s the worst harvest in the memory of many farmers. This comes just after the dark vision posed by Robert Irving that the potato industry may not have a future on PEI.

This is not a problem for farmers alone. It affects processors and workers; it’s a mainstay of rural communities and the major generator of our Province’s economy. We’re all in this together. Government needs to respond this week with concrete plans.

We need extra resources to be assigned for assessing crop loss and compensation. We need to be sure that mental-health supports can be available if wanted. And with longer-term vision, we need to be ever-mindful of the growing implications of climate change, and be planning for how Island agriculture is bound to be affected.

Posted in NDP PEI Leader Blog

Joe Byrne

Here on PEI, Joe has worked on numerous social programs in rural communities. He has done field work on issues faced by university and college students, has been Director of Youth Ministry, and has also coordinated pastoral planning for the diocese. He remains active in the Latin American Mission Program, and is President of the Cooper Institute, a grass-roots collective for community development. He also counts among his volunteer and community work Charlottetown Abbies soccer, church Youth and Music ministries, Voluntary Resource Council, Peace Vigil Group, Atlantic Council for International Cooperation, Canada World Youth, and Katimavik hosting. He keeps up his interaction with young people as a part-time instructor for the Abegweit Driving School. All of this, he does in addition to his work in the NDP. His vast array of church and community experiences have helped him cultivate his skills in communication, organization, and consensus building, and also brought him the joy of forming hundreds of friendships.

Support Island New Democrats

As the true progressive party representing Islanders from tip to tip, we rely on your support to stand up for policies that matter to Prince Edward Island. Health, education, agriculture, environmental, women's, BIPOC and SOGI issues need New Democratic voices in the legislature.

Please donate below to support that fight

Donation

$ Donation Amount:

Make this donation every

Dedicate this Donation

Yes, please
No, thank you

Dedication Type

In honor of
In memory of

Honoree Details

First Name *

Last Name

Notification Details

Personalized Message * 255 Characters left

First Name *

Last Name

Email Address *

Personal Info

First Name *

Last Name

Company Name

Email Address: *

Make this an anonymous donation.

Create an account

Credit Card Info

This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.

Card Number *

CVC *

Cardholder Name *

Expiration *

Billing Details

Country *

Address 1 *

Address 2

City *

Province *

Zip / Postal Code *

Subscribe to our newsletter

Donation Total: $20.00 One Time

Tax credit on contributions

You can claim a tax credit on contributions made to recognized Prince Edward Island political parties, and to candidates who were officially nominated under the Elections Act of Prince Edward Island. The annual maximum credit is $500 and is calculated as follows:

First $100 contributed - 75%
Next $450 contributed - 50%
Next $600 contributed - 33 1/3%