FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 24, 2025
Statement by Matt MacFarlane on IRAC’s refusal to share 2018 land investigation report
Charlottetown, PE – Last week, members of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability received a letter from the CEO of IRAC refusing to provide the committee with a copy of the 2018 investigative report into the land holdings of Buddhist organizations in eastern PEI, or any update on the new investigation recently initiated by the Minister. This is unacceptable.
Legislative committees are an extension of the Legislature itself and have full legal authority to request any documents they deem necessary to carry out their work on behalf of Islanders. IRAC’s refusal to cooperate is not only deeply troubling, it’s a violation of the committee’s rights and, by extension, a violation of Islanders’ right to transparency and accountability.
For years, residents, especially those in the Three Rivers area, have raised serious questions about the Buddhist organizations’ land acquisitions and compliance with the Lands Protection Act. The 2018 investigation was a direct result of those questions and concerns, but the report of that investigation has never been released publicly. The CEO stated in her letter to the committee that the investigation file was opened in early 2018 and investigators on the file stated in a letter dated January 26, 2018 that the investigation “has ended.” Twenty-six days to investigate such a sensitive and complex matter? If correct, that hardly instills public confidence.
Islanders deserve answers — not secrecy, stonewalling, or political convenience. I am calling on the Minister responsible for Land and the Premier to urge IRAC to immediately release the 2018 report. Otherwise, I will be bringing a motion at the legislative committee meeting to subpoena the report.
When government bodies fail to provide transparency on matters this important it erodes public trust. That trust must be restored, and it starts with openness, honesty, and respect for the legislative process.
Matthew MacFarlane
Leader of the Green Party of PEI
Attachments:
Letter from CEO of IRAC to Legislative Committee (September 17, 2025)
Letter from Investigators to IRAC re: 2018 Investigation (January 26, 2018)
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Katie Rankin
Chief of Staff
Office of the Third Party
Tel: (902) 213-6378
Email: kerankin@assembly.pe.ca