Opposition questions PCs as deadline for electoral boundaries review looms

The provincial government is facing a time crunch when it comes to the Electoral Boundaries Act and a mandatory review of the districts in this province. The Liberals are raising questions, but the Justice Minister is not showing any signs of panic. We are aware of all of those timelines, and we will be providing further information on that in the sitting of the House of Assembly. For two days this week, the Liberals have been questioning the government on the status of the review, including the appointment of a five-person commission to carry out the work. But so far, no one has been appointed, and the opposition has not been impressed with the answers. Sounds like a goose egg to me, Speaker. This is the Electoral Boundaries Act. It sets the rules for drawing and updating geographical boundaries of the voting districts in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Act requires that a review be completed every 10 years. With the number of districts slashed from 48 to 40 following the last review, the 2015 Electoral Boundaries Commission was led by a Supreme Court judge and included four other members with representation across all party lines. Will the government follow the past convention to ensure the committee reflects the makeup of the House? The Justice Minister refused to give any direct answers. The Act is very clear about what the responsibilities are of our government. The government has until the end of 2026, less than two months, to appoint an Electoral Boundaries Commission and for that commission to submit its report to the Justice Minister. Under the Act, the Commission has 120 days to prepare a report. The minister is not offering any clear answers as it becomes apparent that those deadlines will not be honored. We are aware of those timelines. We are aware of the requirements. Now this process could mean big changes for voters and politicians. Will the number of electoral districts again be reduced? Will the number of MHAs in rural Newfoundland take another hit? And will the four seats in Labrador be protected like they were last time? Plenty of questions and no timeline as to when they'll be answered. Terry Roberts, CBC News, St. John's.