Breadcrumb Trail LinksAtlantic CanadaNewsPrince Edward IslandPEI NewsSummerside'That is not true': P.E.I. Opposition leader calls for apology after premier’s overspending claimClerk clarifies the Liberal caucus stayed within budgetPublished May 16, 2025  •  Last updated 1 hour ago  •  3 minute readInterim Liberal Leader Hal Perry is calling for an apology from Premier Rob Lantz after he cited outdated numbers about the Opposition's budget spending. Photo by File /The GuardianArticle contentInterim Liberal Leader Hal Perry asked for Premier Rob Lantz to apologize after comments made May 15 about the Opposition office’s spending.During question period, Lantz said the Opposition office had overspent its budget by thousands of dollars.The premier’s comments came during a series of questions from Perry about spending on the province’s NHL sponsorship deal, particularly since the beginning of 2025.Article contentReferring to travel and networking costs in the Department of Tourism, Perry asked Finance Minister Jill Burridge if she would address travel spending.“When we look at the NHL deal, we find hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on travel and entertainment,” Perry said. “Have you communicated with your colleagues and departments that lavish travel has to be cut back dramatically?”Read More P.E.I. NHL deal worth between $7.5 million and $8.4 million P.E.I. committee subpoenas docs about 4 Nations Face-Off ads ANDY WALKER: Government going into hurry-up offence for passing budget Lantz, though, stood up instead and said he would be remiss if he didn’t take the opportunity to bring up the Opposition’s spending.“The office of the Opposition, a three-member caucus, is allotted a budget of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and they could not stay within the budget. They overspent their own office budget by almost 50 per cent,” he said. “If this government spent like that office does, we’d have a deficit of $1.5 billion.”Article contentThe Opposition leader shouldn’t lecture him on fiscal responsibility, if he can’t manage the spending of a tiny caucus, Lantz said.In response, Perry said there would be an apology coming from the premier when the legislature met again the next day.“That is not true. That is not true,” Perry said about the premier’s statement.During this exchange, government members cheered and banged on their desks as Lantz spoke. Deputy Premier Bloyce Thompson heckled the Opposition, while Housing Minister Steven Myers yelled something about reports during Perry’s response. During question period on May 15, P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz said the Opposition office overspent its budget by nearly 50 per cent. The legislature clerk says that is not true. Photo by Stu Neatby /Guardian filePoint of orderAfter question period, Perry requested a point of order to address the premier’s comments.“I, as a member, find it deeply offensive that the premier would make statements about our budget accounting that are inaccurate, and if further clarification is needed, please contact the clerk of the legislative assembly.”He further asked the premier to retract his statement and apologize.Article contentLantz did not respond, but House Speaker Sidney MacEwen said he would take the point of order under advisement. During the tabling of documents, there was no evidence provided by the premier or other government members.Clerk clarifiesThe Guardian spoke with the Opposition office, but did not hear back from Perry by deadline.In an email, Joseph Jeffrey, clerk of the legislative assembly, said the numbers in the annual report don’t reflect reality, and the Opposition office is in fact within its budget.A legislative standing committee increased the Opposition budget after the budget passed, and the annual report can’t be updated after the fact. The committee can change caucus budgets, but it can’t override the accounting system that the report draws its numbers from, he said.An email statement from the Premier’s Office sent May 16 before the legislature sat for the day said Lantz’s comments in the legislative assembly were based on the funds appropriated and approved by MLAs and the annual report of the legislative assembly of Prince Edward Island, tabled by the Speaker on April 4.According to the report, the Opposition members’ office was budgeted to spend $250,000 and reported expenditures of $346,131, the statement said.MacEwen’s response to Perry’s point of order wasn’t available by deadline.Logan MacLean is a municipal reporter with The Guardian in Prince Edward Island. He can be reached by email at lmaclean@postmedia.com and followed on X @loganmaclean94.

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