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CBC
20-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
P.E.I. politicians call on Ottawa to reduce bridge, ferry tolls by Canada Day
Canada Day would be a good deadline for Prime Minister Mark Carney to deliver on his campaign promise to reduce tolls on the Confederation Bridge and Northumberland Ferries service, says Egmont MP Bobby Morrissey. "July 1 would be an ideal timeline," Morrissey said. "I will push with the government and with the prime minister until we have this in place." Morrissey wrote to Carney last week emphasizing the importance of timing and suggesting that Canada Day would be a "symbolic day for Islanders." It would also be a realistic date, he said. "Remember, we removed the carbon tax within a short period of time, which was much more complex," he said. "So. reducing the toll … would be a very easy thing for government to do." While campaigning in P.E.I. for last month's election, Carney announced that his government would cut Confederation Bridge tolls by more than half and reduce the cost of Northumberland Ferries fares by at least 50 per cent. Bridge tolls are now more than $50. The ferry costs nearly $90. Tolls a trade barrier Carney said in March that he and the premiers agreed to develop a plan to have "free trade by Canada Day" between the provinces and territories. Charlottetown Sen. Percy Downe, who has been advocating for reduced tolls on the bridge and ferry service for over a decade, said the tolls are a trade barrier and must come down. "It increases the cost for businesses and/or consumers to get across the region and to get our products out of the region," Downe said. Lower tolls would reduce costs for Islanders, provide a boost to the province's tourism industry and make it easier for Islanders to travel out of province to access services like medical care, he said. "It's an overall win for the province," Downe said. "It's a win for the people of Prince Edward Island." Calls grow louder P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz said he signed a letter to send to Transportation Minister Chrystia Freeland and expects to speak with Carney about the tolls soon. "I have confidence," he said. "I see no reason why they would back away from the commitment that they made." The Canada Day deadline might be ambitious, Lantz said, but it would be great to make it happen. "It's going to be up to the federal government to figure out the mechanics of making this happen, but I don't see why they couldn't just change the signs at the bridge and reprogram the point of sale systems to make it $20 and then figure the rest out later," he said.
CBC
29-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
P.E.I.'s Liberal MPs promise to tackle key issues facing the Island
Social Sharing P.E.I. is once again painted red on the political map as all four of the province's federal ridings were won by Liberal candidates in Monday's federal election. Three incumbents and one rookie will represent the Island in Ottawa, and all four say they're ready to get to work and address key challenges facing Islanders — from the cost of living to concerns in the fisheries and agriculture sectors. Bobby Morrissey Liberal incumbent Bobby Morrissey retained his seat in the Egmont riding after what looked like a tight race with Conservative candidate Logan McLellan after polls closed. Heading into his fourth term, Morrissey said one of his top priorities is addressing growing concerns among his constituents on the future of P.E.I.'s wild oyster fishery. Concerns about high oyster mortalities caused by the MSX parasite have fishers worried as the season is set to begin May 1. Industry members have been calling for urgent government action and support. "Fishers are going to have to be looked after, and I'm going to go to bat for them," Morrissey told CBC's Island Morning. While the Conservatives did not win any seats on P.E.I., they made significant gains in voter support, particularly in Egmont, where the race was tight at several points. "That shows that people are paying attention here, and sometimes some people felt that the government that I was part of was not listening to them closely enough on some issues," he said, citing the oyster industry concerns. "When certain segments of the population feel isolated from the government in power, then the government has to do a better job at listening." Kent MacDonald Rookie candidate Kent MacDonald will be the next MP in the eastern P.E.I. riding of Cardigan, the only district without an incumbent running after longtime MP Lawrence MacAulay retired. MacDonald won more than 56 per cent of the vote. Liberal candidate Kent MacDonald wins P.E.I.'s Cardigan riding by large margin He said he feels ready to represent the people of Cardigan and the concerns he heard while campaigning. "We have to keep working on affordability. There's certainly concerns in the fishing industry, around DFO and the regulations. Pricing is not great in the lobster industry. So all those things add up to frustration with the voters. I'll address them when I go to Ottawa," he said. MacDonald, a dairy farmer from the Souris area, said he feels well positioned to stand up for Canada as the issue of supply management — which relies on the control of imports and enables the dairy, poultry and egg sectors to limit the supply of their products to what Canadians are expected to consume — once again comes under fire by U.S. President Donald Trump. "My experience will bode well for me, having been involved in associations in the dairy industry, so governing will just be a bigger scale of those same activities," he said. Sean Casey Liberal incumbent Sean Casey will remain the member of Parliament for P.E.I.'s Charlottetown riding, having earned about 65 per cent of the vote in Monday's federal election. Casey, who was first elected in 2011 and has represented the people of Charlottetown for the last four terms, said Islanders in the capital city are anxious about some of the same issues as the rest of Canada — affordability, access to health care, climate change, and ongoing tensions with the U.S. "None of these things are going to be resolved overnight," Casey said "But my sense is that Islanders, specifically, they get it that it isn't something that's going to happen overnight. They want to be reassured that there's a steady hand at the wheel and a methodical approach to each one of these problems." With the Liberals under Mark Carney likely to form a minority government, Casey said collaboration with other parties will be key. "I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing," he said. "I'm confident that with Prime Minister Carney, with the stated will of the electorate, that we will be able to get things done." Heath MacDonald Liberal incumbent Heath MacDonald will be going back to Ottawa as the MP for the central P.E.I. riding of Malpeque after securing about 57 per cent of the vote. MacDonald said he looks forward to continuing to represent his constituents, also citing concerns about affordability, health care access and Trump's tariff threats as top priorities for his second term. "People are certainly looking for political parties to restore some political stability, and people are tired of the rhetoric we've seen south of the border. I think people want us to work together for the betterment of Canada and, of course, Islanders as well," MacDonald said. Reflecting on his first term, MacDonald said the learning curve was steep as he had a lot to learn about Parliament's protocols and procedures as well as building networks, but this time, he's already familiar with the procedures and relationships needed to get things done. When asked whether he believes P.E.I. should have a seat at the cabinet table, given that former Cardigan MP Lawrence MacAulay held ministerial positions under the Trudeau government, MacDonald said he believes the province deserves representation in cabinet.
Global News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Canada election 2025: Egmont
See more sharing options Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook Egmont is a federal riding located in Prince Edward Island. This riding is currently represented by Liberal MP Bobby Morrissey who first took office in 2015. Morrissey collected 9,040 votes, winning 46.21 per cent of the vote in the 2021 federal election. Voters will decide who will represent Egmont in Prince Edward Island during the upcoming Canadian election on April 28, 2025. Visit this page on election night for a complete breakdown of up to the minute results. Candidates Liberal: Bobby Morrissey (Incumbent) Conservative: Logan McLellan NDP: Carol Rybinski Green: Ranald MacFarlane
CBC
24-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Here are the candidates running in Egmont
Stretching from Seacow Pond, down to West Point, Lennox Island all the way through to the eastern edge of Summerside, Egmont is Prince Edward Island's western riding. It is also the only riding in the province that has changed hands over the years, shifting from the Liberals to the Conservatives and back to the Liberals. Three candidates are running in this riding and they're listed alphabetically by first name. Bobby Morrissey, Liberal Party Robert (Bobby) Morrissey is the incumbent MP, having defeated former Conservative Fisheries Minister Gail Shea in 2015. Prior to the last election, Morrissey was an MLA from 1982-2000 and spent his years between politics in the private sector. He's the former president of the Tignish Seniors Home Care Co-op and was vice-chair of Tignish Special Needs Housing. Carol Rybinski, New Democratic Party Carol Rybinski lives in Tyne Valley, where she owns and operates Tyne Valley Teas Café. She is a past president of the West Prince Chamber of Commerce and a board member of the P.E.I. Women's Business Association. She also serves on the board of Friends of Tyne Valley Library and is chair of the promotions committee for the Summerside Community Choir. Logan McLellan, Conservative Party Born and raised in Summerside, Logan McLellan is an entrepreneur and financial adviser. This is McLellan's second time running in Egmont. McLellan was the Conservative candidate in 2019 as well. He lost to the incumbent MP, Bobby Morrissey, by about 1,100 votes. Other ridings
