P.E.I. premier looks back on 2023 and ahead to 2024
Dennis King on 5 topics that are shaping the province now and in the future
It's been a challenging year for Prince Edward Islanders, from soaring inflation and high grocery bills to health-care woes and an ongoing housing crisis.
For P.E.I. Premier Dennis King and his government, many of the same issues from 2023 will persist into the new year.
While such pressures might normally mean a dip in popularity for a ruling party, King continues to enjoy strong polling numbers that suggest his popularity remains well ahead of that of any other P.E.I. party leader.
King sat down with CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin on Tuesday for a year-end interview about his year in politics, and what's to come in 2024.
Health care
Although about 20 per cent of the province's population has no family doctor, King said the health-care system has become easier to use.
He said patient medical homes, which have been formed at five Island primary care locations, will be used more in the coming year to take people off the provincial waiting list, called the Patient Registry.
"You'll start to see the onboarding of patients from the registry to medical homes, for example, and that's been our target all along," King said.
"I do think when you access the system … of health-care delivery, it's as good as anywhere here. It's been challenging to access it, but we've changed how people access it, and we've had some innovations that have made it easier."
UPEI medical school
A hot-button topic as of late thanks to the Spindle Report, King said his government still plans to go "full steam ahead" on a new medical school at the University of Prince Edward Island.
When asked why his government didn't wait for the consultant's report before beginning construction on a new building, now underway off University Avenue near the Royalty Crossing shopping centre, the premier said the health-care system can't afford to wait.
"We've said all along we need to change what we're doing, and that is exactly what we're doing. A medical school at UPEI and the ecosystem around it will be a game-changer for Prince Edward Island," King said.
"We always knew there was going to need to be a change in system delivery. We need to get ready to accommodate the medical school. The simple part of the equation is that if we want more doctors, we're going to have to train them — and why can't we train them here?"
Inflation
With the cost of most consumer goods at historic highs, King said his government has made efforts to put money back into the wallets of Islanders.
"We've done direct payments and we've done lots of assistance programs to help," he said. "One of the biggest tax rollbacks ever in [the] history of our province was holding the property tax rates at 2020 levels, so that's one more thing that keeps money in Islanders' pockets.
"But we have to continue to try to make sure we're there for Islanders, to help them in every way we can."
Housing
The province's supply of housing hasn't kept pace with its population growth — and the cost of available homes is often out of reach for many Islanders.
King said the province is continuing to lend money at low rates and housing starts are on par with this time last year.
Even so, he said P.E.I. will need to work more closely with the construction industry to ensure it has access to skilled labourers.
The premier said the industry is even talking about setting up camps that provide temporary housing for construction workers to boost construction.
"If you listen to the construction industry and others, they're probably working at the full capacity of what they can do right now, so they need more people. We'll try to help them do that and to invest in the trades to bring more people in as quickly as possible," he said.
"I think you'll more than likely see one or two of those [camps] pop up in P.E.I."
Community Outreach Centre
King said it's clear the beleaguered Community Outreach Centre has outgrown its space and usefulness in its current location on Euston Street in Charlottetown.
Moving it to Park Street, to the site of the province's overnight emergency shelter, will require consent from Charlottetown council. And that's not a done deal by any means.
But King remains optimistic the province and city can collaborate on a solution.
"I haven't gotten into the 'what-ifs.' I think, at the end of the day, city council will realize that we need to provide a different space to provide these services. We've made it known from the beginning that it isn't an option for us not to offer these services.
"I feel confident in the new year that the city will give us the approval to do that on a temporary basis."
Our other 2023 year-end interviews:
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With files from CBC News: Compass