Bill 102: An Act to Amend the Conflict of Interest Act

This bill primarily affects PEI Cabinet Ministers who personally hold licences, permits, quotas, or similar authorizations — for example, a Minister who is also a licensed fisherman holding a quota, a farmer holding an agricultural quota, or a tradesperson holding a non-transferable professional licence. The typical person affected runs a small or solo operation in a regulated industry like fishing, farming, or a licensed trade in Prince Edward Island, where the licence is tied specifically to them by law and cannot be handed off or put in a blind trust. Before this change, such a Minister faced an impossible situation: they couldn't comply with both the conflict of interest rules and the licensing regime at the same time. This bill resolves that conflict by carving out a narrow exception, so long as full disclosure is made to the Commissioner.