Jim Bagnall, a PEI filibuster?

Every person on PEI will pay more taxes not what you promised

Conservative MLA Jim Bagnall has taken the floor during debate on the new property tax bill. He will not sit down and has resisted the Chair’s admonitions.

Cynthia Dunsford, acting chair of the committee of the whole, is trying to stop him but he is firmly standing on his right to keep the floor during debate. She wants to move the debate along but Bagnall knows more about procedure. She backed down.

Bagnall claims the Minister is trying to ram the bill through. He claims that new rules on owner occupied versus rental units will impact Islanders more than he Minister will admit.

The Minister is putting taxes up right in the middle of a recession, says Bagnall. The minister is convinced he has to rush through a bill that will cost Islanders.

“We need tax forgiveness not more taxes. You are trying to fight the recession on the backs of Islanders.

Treasurer Wes Sheridan is arguing and to some extent heckling Bagnall off camera. When he does, Bagnall has said he has been confused and needs to start from the beginning.

Oops, Dunsford got some help and found a rule that says Bagnall can’t repeat himself in debate.

Onward he goes. Mike Currie is grinning behind Bagnall as he sips water/coffee/whatever.

Finally he sat down.

Opposition Leader Olive Crane followed him. She is asking for the new special terms for owner-occupied status to be removed from the bill.

Sheridan says the actual bill is not changed, only a heading in the bill. The wording was put in the property tax bill by the previous administration.