Dec
23
2016

Electoral boundaries commission appointments

The Honourable Francis (Buck) Watts, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, today announced appointments to the Prince Edward Island Electoral Boundaries Commission.

Speaker Watts is pleased to announce that Honourable Gerard Mitchell has been appointed to serve as Chairperson of the Commission, and Lynn Murray, Q.C., Charlottetown; Elizabeth (Libby) Shaw, Alberton; Elmer MacDonald, Augustine Cove; and Kerri Carpenter, Stratford will serve as Commissioners.

Pursuant to the Electoral Boundaries Act, RSPEI 1994, Cap. E-2.1, the Commission is to be established following the third general election after the Act comes into force. The Legislative Assembly passed the Act in 1994 therefore, after the general elections of 2007, 2011 and 2015, the Commission is to be created and charged with the responsibility of reviewing the provincial electoral districts and making report, complete with recommendations, to the Legislative Assembly.  The Commission will consider the areas comprising the existing 27 electoral districts, including the present electoral boundaries and district names. 
 
The Commission will hold public hearings and, in preparing recommendations, will also take into consideration the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, enumeration data from the 2015 General Election, existing polling divisions, geographical features, population patterns, communities of interest, municipal boundaries and such other factors as the Commission may deem relevant.  At present, the Act states that a proposed district shall not be more than 25% above nor 25% below the average number of electors of all the proposed districts.

The Commission will submit its report to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in spring, 2017.

Information:
JoAnne Holden
Director, Communications and External Relations
Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island
jdholden@assembly.pe.ca (link sends e-mail)
Tel: 902-368-4316
 

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