Opposition questions government relationship with Cavendish Farms

The Progressive Conservatives are questioning the province's relationship with Robert Irving and Cavendish Farms, after the company requested government double land ownership limits for potato farmers.

During Wednesday's question period, PC Leader James Aylward began the line of questioning by asking if Premier Wade MacLauchlan agreed that land ownership limits need to change.

MacLauchlan said that question was before a legislative standing committee, and he hadn't heard about Irving's request until that committee met earlier this month.  

On Nov. 1, Cavendish Farms and its president Robert Irving appeared before P.E.I.'s standing committee on communities, land and environment to ask for greater land limits for potato farmers.

Under P.E.I.'s Lands Protection Act, individuals are limited to owning 768 hectares (1,900 acres) of land, including 404 hectares (1,000 acres) of arable land plus allowances for non-arable land and land that is leased out. For corporations the limit is 2,306 hectares (5,700 acres).

At the meeting, Irving said land limits developed during the 1980s are putting Island farmers at a disadvantage, saying Island farms need "to be able to operate at a scale that enables them to be competitive."

'Secret proposal'

But during Wednesday's question period, Minister of Communities, Land and Environment Richard Brown responded to the questioning saying government would "honour the spirit and the legal text of the Lands Protection Act." 

PC MLA Steven Myers said it was revealed there was a "secret proposal" made by Irving and that the company has a special seat at the table with the province.

"What is this proposal and what exactly is this secret that you don't want to disclose to Islanders?" Myers asked. 

Robert Irving had previously told CBC about his company being in talks with government regarding a water usage plan. He made the statement after Cavendish Farms left that committee meeting. 

'Why should we not sit at the table?'

Brown told reporters he had personally attended one meeting to discuss water use with Cavendish Farms. In question period he defended those meetings, and said agriculture is one of the Island's biggest industries and Cavendish Farms is a major employer.

"Why should we not sit at the table with these companies, as we sit with any farmer or any company that wants to come here to Prince Edward Island?"

CBC has reached out to Cavendish Farms for comment but has not yet received a response. 

Decision on high capacity wells still years away

P.E.I.'s Water Act was passed a year ago but still has not been brought into effect. The province is waiting for the development of the regulations to accompany the act.

Initially, government had said those would be ready for the fall of 2018. On Wednesday Brown said the regulations would not be completed until the new year, at which point he said they would undergo a full public consultation.

After that, he said the act would be "turned on" section-by-section as regulations are finalized.

But on one of the most controversial issues to be addressed — the province's ongoing moratorium on high capacity wells for irrigation — Brown said it would be 2021 before any decision was made by government.

"Until the Canadian Rivers [Institute] study is done in 2021, there will be no changes to the deepwater well program here on Prince Edward Island, the moratorium," Brown said, referring to research commissioned to look at safe water levels to support aquatic life within river systems in P.E.I.

Cavendish Farms has asked that the moratorium on high capacity irrigation wells be lifted.

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