House Speaker admits accessing PNP units under Tory government

House Speaker Kathleen Casey admitted she received immigrant money through the Provincial Nominee Program

By Teresa Wright, The Guardian – Questions were raised by Opposition member Jim Bagnall in the legislature Friday. 

Bagnall dominated Friday’s question period, asking each Liberal MLA and cabinet minister if they or any member of their family ever accessed PNP units.

Featured image: PEI Speaker Kathleen Casey and Senator Mike Duffy (Cape Breton Post)

Questions cannot be posed to the Speaker directly, but Bagnall still asked about Casey in a question to the premier.

Premier Robert Ghiz did not divulge whether any MLA has received PNP funds.

In an interview after the house session however, Casey admitted she did, in fact, receive provincial nominee units for her company in 2007, but it was under the previous Conservative government.

“As a private citizen and prior to my election as an MLA under the previous administration, I did participate in the program,” Casey said.

But when asked if any member of her family or if her husband Sean Casey had accessed PNP money under this administration, neither Casey nor her husband would answer.

“Under the conflict of interest act, I am obliged to make a spousal disclosure, which I have done,” Sean Casey told The Guardian. 

“Although my wife has decided to pursue a career in politics, I’m not comfortable discussing private business in a public forum so what I had to disclose by law is contained in the (public disclosure) statement.”

That document lists only the businesses and assets retained by Kathleen Casey and her family members. It is not required to contain anything about such things as the Provincial Nominee Program. 

Sean Casey, a lawyer with Stewart McKelvey in Charlottetown, was formerly the president of the Liberal Party of P.E.I. He currently has a number of incorporated businesses of which he owns either all or part of the shares.