P.E.I. Watershed Alliance concerned that 'climate action' removed from minister's title

The executive director of the P.E.I. Watershed Alliance says it was “shocking” that the term “climate action” was removed from a provincial department’s title in last month’s cabinet shuffle.

Premier Rob Lantz shuffled his cabinet Feb. 12, and named Darlene Compton as minister of land and environment. Before then, that department was called environment, energy and climate action.

Lantz moved energy under the transportation and infrastructure portfolio — but climate action is now nowhere to be found.

P.E.I. Watershed Alliance executive director Heather Laiskonis said climate change is a reality that requires “dedicated leadership” from the province.  

“Without somebody steering the ship, both literally and figuratively, we are just going to be back in a reactionary state,” she told CBC’s Island Morning. 

“People aren’t going to have co-ordinated mandates on how to tackle climate change without a minister leading the charge.”

Laiskonis noted climate change affects many industries in the province — from fishing, aquaculture and forestry to tourism and agriculture.

“These are huge, multifaceted, complex, wicked problems and just to take [the portfolio] away without consultation is pretty shocking,” she said.

The shift shows government is moving away from being a leader on climate change, Laiskonis said, pointing to the living labs initiative that was “pioneered” in P.E.I.

Laiskonis questions how multiple departments can tackle the issue without a single minister spearheading climate action.

“It’s so easy to say, well, climate change is part of everyone’s portfolio,” she said. “Well, prove it. Show us how. Show us how everyone’s working on it.”

Climate action wasn’t the only departmental title that was lost in the cabinet shuffle.

The former department of fisheries, tourism, sport and culture added rural development, but both sport and culture were dropped entirely.