A heated argument emerged during a discussion on land use in P.E.I. between the two contenders vying to lead the Progressive Conservative Party in the upcoming election. The confrontation took place at the second of three leadership forums for the governing PC Party of P.E.I., held in Montague on Thursday. Mark Ledwell expressed his commitment to revamping the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC), halting Bliss and Wisdom land transactions, and initiating a public inquiry. Bliss and Wisdom, a Tibetan Buddhist group based in Taiwan, has long been embroiled in controversy over its land holdings in eastern P.E.I.
Ledwell’s pledges garnered enthusiastic applause from the approximately 100 attendees at the forum, hosted at the Cavendish Farms Wellness Centre. In response to Ledwell’s proposals, Robert Lantz, who previously served as premier for around nine months in 2025 before resigning to pursue permanent party leadership, defended his government’s actions, highlighting the implementation of most recommendations from the Land Matters report. The report, which was issued in 2021, outlined 13 suggestions regarding land use, ownership, and planning, of which Lantz stated that 12 have been substantially executed.
A contentious exchange ensued between Lantz and Ledwell, with Ledwell criticizing Lantz for purportedly failing to address loopholes in the Lands Protection Act and untouched aspects of the Land Matters recommendations, specifically IRAC. In response, Lantz asserted his commitment to addressing land use issues and emphasized his initiative in calling for a federal investigation into potential irregularities involving certain Buddhist groups in Kings County. The call for investigation came after concerns were raised by former officials regarding potential foreign interference and money laundering within these groups.
During the debate, Ledwell accused Lantz of leveraging government resources to support his leadership campaign, prompting a sharp response from Lantz, who defended his actions and accused Ledwell of alienating supporters. Ledwell expressed concerns about the misuse of government resources for personal gain and raised the issue with party officials. However, Lantz refuted these claims, stating that only one individual from his former office was assisting his campaign on an unpaid leave of absence.
The leadership showdown will continue with one more forum scheduled for February 2 in Charlottetown, with the party members set to elect their new leader on February 7.
