PEI Human Rights Commission is an independent government agency in Prince Edward Island. [1] The commission reports to Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island through the Minister of Justice and Public Safety. [1] Joanne Ings is the chair of the commission. [2]
PEI Human Rights Commission was established following the passage of the Prince Edward Island Human Rights Act in September 1976. [3]
The commission has the authority to hold hearings following complaints of discrimination on Prince Edward Island. [4] Decisions of the commission can be appealed in court. [5]
In December 2020, Danté Bazard was appointed commissioner of PEI Human Rights Commission, the first black person to be commissioner. [6]
In January 2022, the commission announced it has a backlog of over 128 cases that would take four year to clear. [7] Kathleen Casey, Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly, has said recent immigrants to the island are not reaching out to the commission despite facing discrimination. [8]
Transgender rights in Canada, including procedures for changing legal gender and protections from discrimination, vary among provinces and territories, due to Canada's nature as a federal state. According to the 2021 Canadian census, 59,460 Canadians identify as transgender.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Manitoba since September 16, 2004. In the case of Vogel v. Canada, the Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba ordered the province to begin issuing marriage licences to same-sex couples. This decision followed a suit brought by three couples who were denied the right to marry. Both the provincial and federal governments had made it known that they would not oppose the court bid.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Prince Edward Island since July 20, 2005. The Canadian province began the process of updating its laws to recognize same-sex marriage after the passage of the Civil Marriage Act in the House of Commons of Canada. Prince Edward Island had been one of only four provinces and territories, with Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, where same-sex marriage had not already been legalized by court challenges prior to the passage of the law.
The politics of Prince Edward Island are centred on a provincial government resembling that of the other Canadian provinces. The capital of the province of Prince Edward Island is Charlottetown, where the lieutenant governor and the premier reside, and the provincial legislature, and cabinet are located.
Stanley "Sonny" Gallant is a Canadian politician who served as interim leader of the Prince Edward Island Liberal Party from 2019 to 2022. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island in the 2007 provincial election. He represented the electoral district of Evangeline-Miscouche from 2007 to 2023 and is a member of the Liberal Party. On February 15, 2017, Gallant was appointed to the Executive Council of Prince Edward Island as Minister of Workforce and Advanced Learning, serving unti 2023. He was chosen interim leader of the Liberal Party on September 16, 2019, serving until November 19, 2022.
Richard Earle Brown is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island in the 2007 provincial election. He represented the electoral district of Charlottetown-Victoria Park as a member of the Liberal Party.
Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act was a provision of the Canadian Human Rights Act dealing with hate messages. The provision prohibited online communications which were "likely to expose a person or persons to hatred or contempt" on the basis of a prohibited ground of discrimination. Complaints under this section were brought to the Canadian Human Rights Commission and if the Commission found sufficient evidence, the case would be heard by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. The provision was used successfully in several cases against white supremacists, anti-Semitic, and neo-Nazi groups. However, it was repealed by the Parliament of Canada in June 2014, following a Canada-wide campaign when a group of young Muslim law students, for the first time in Canada, used the human rights system to challenge alleged Islamophobia by right-wing columnists, including Ezra Levant and Mark Steyn. The Ontario Court of Appeal would describe the campaign in libel proceedings against Ezra Levant in relation to events that took place from 2007 in Awan v. Levant.
An ombudsman, ombud, ombuds, ombudswoman, ombudsperson or public advocate is an official who is usually appointed by the government or by parliament to investigate complaints and attempt to resolve them, usually through recommendations or mediation.
Steven Myers is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island in the 2011 provincial election. He represents the district of Georgetown-Pownal as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island and was Leader of the Opposition in the legislature, from 2013 to 2015.
John "Hal" Perry is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island in the 2011 provincial election. He represents the district of Tignish-Palmer Road as a member of the Liberal Party. He was originally elected as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party, but left the Progressive Conservative Party and joined the Liberal Party on October 3, 2013.
Darlene Compton is a Canadian politician, the second and current deputy premier, minister of finance and the status of women of Prince Edward Island. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island in the 2015 provincial election. She represents the electoral district of Belfast-Murray River as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party.
Bradley (Brad) Grant Trivers is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island in the 2015 provincial election. He represents the electoral district of Rustico-Emerald as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party.
Jamie D. Fox is a Canadian politician, who became the interim leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island and Opposition leader in the Legislative Assembly on October 15, 2015. Fox was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island in the 2015 provincial election. He represents the electoral district of Borden-Kinkora. In October 2017, James Alyward was elected as the Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of PEI after Fox serving for two years as the Interim Leader.
Matthew MacKay is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island in the 2015 provincial election. He represents the electoral district of Kensington-Malpeque as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party.
Hannah Bell is a Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island from 13 December 2017 to 6 March 2023. She represents the electoral district of Charlottetown-Belvedere as a member of the Green Party of Prince Edward Island.
A referendum on electoral reform was held on April 23, 2019, in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island – simultaneously with the 2019 provincial election – to determine if the province should adopt a mixed-member proportional representation voting system (MMP). A narrow majority voted to keep the existing first-past-the-post system. However, the referendum was not binding, as neither the yes or no side received majority support in 60% or more of the province's 27 electoral districts.
Dennis King is the 33rd and current premier of Prince Edward Island since 2019 and current leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island. He was re-elected in the 2023 general election.
Karla Bernard is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island in the 2019 Prince Edward Island general election. She represents the district of Charlottetown-Victoria Park as a member of the Green Party of Prince Edward Island.
Cory Deagle is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island in the 2019 Prince Edward Island general election. He represents the district of Montague-Kilmuir as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island.
Natalie Jameson is a Canadian politician, who serves as Minister of Education and Lifelong Learning in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island. She represents the district of Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island.