Peter Bevan-Baker outlines ideas for better governance

The leader of P.E.I.’s Green Party says the province’s reputation has been tarnished in light of its abandoned e-gaming strategy.

A Globe and Mail story published on Saturday suggested some current and former provincial employees and an advisor invested in a company poised to do business with government.

At a news conference Friday, Peter Bevan-Baker outlined his ideas to improve the way government functions, including having better freedom of information legislation and even tighter conflict-of-interest rules.

“We need to have the strictest, stringent guidelines in the country, not just the average ones that are comparable with other provinces. We must also expand the scope and improve the response times to FOIP (freedom of information) requests,” he said.

Bevan-Baker would also like to see UPEI, Holland College and all municipalities fall under freedom of legislation.

He would like to see that requests “don't drag on for weeks or months, as often is the case.”

Bevan-Baker would also like to see whistle-blower legislation put in place.