Transportation and Infrastructure Mandate Letter

Honourable Ernie Hudson

Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure
3rd Floor Jones
PO Box 2000
Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8

Dear Minister Hudson,

I am pleased to have you serve as the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.   

On April 3, 2023, we were given a mandate by Islanders to continue to work towards building a brighter, bolder, and better future for our province.  We made a commitment to work with Islanders, and for Islanders – and that motto should be the basis of how you conduct yourself in your actions as Minister.  We must engage Islanders, have real conversations, and put the interest of Islanders at the heart of every decision we make as a government.

Over the last four years, we have proven to Islanders that we can navigate many challenges.  We must continue to show courage, strength and above all else, leadership when it comes to the challenges we are faced with.   Change is sometimes difficult, but with your proven ability to stand up and meet challenges head-on, I’m confident that you will make the best decisions to move our province forward.  

Our government has always led with positivity and has served with humility and kindness.  I expect this to continue in our second mandate.   We have shifted the political landscape in PEI to be more collaborative in nature.  I have always said, it doesn’t matter where good ideas come from – if it’s a good idea, and it improves the lives of Islanders – we should consider it.   I want you to have regular communication with your legislative colleagues on all sides of the Legislature to provide opportunities for input and feedback.

As Minister, you and your leadership team will play a critical role in contributing to the commitments we have made to Islanders.  You are responsible for the conduct of the department you oversee and must be aware and adhere to the values of the public service in your interactions with the Islanders and the public service.  Most importantly, you have Cabinet Colleagues that serve alongside of you; whenever and wherever possible, you should work collaboratively with them to break down silos and reduce barriers to accessing services by working together across Departments.  

As Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, you will:

• Working with the Minister of Health and Wellness, work to add telehealth access sites at Access PEI locations and Libraries and allow for in-person registration and onboarding for telehealth services like Maple;
• Continue to lead the country in low-cost public transit and develop a plan to expand and add new routes to make it more affordable to travel across the province;
• Continue to modernize infrastructure and roadways to support our growing communities;
• Expand commuter travel options and active transportation pathways;
• Working with the Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Action, install bi-directional EV chargers at critical infrastructure locations and warming centres so that electric school buses can be used as generators during power outages;
• Commit to building childcare centres in all new public buildings going forward until wait lists are eliminated;
• Collaborate with the Federal Government to participate in a working group to reduce Bridge and Ferry Tolls to $20;
• Advocate the Federal Government for a revised Infrastructure funding plan that is flexible and adaptable to the needs of Prince Edward Island and our local municipalities;
• Continue to fund Hurricane Fiona clean-up efforts across the province;
• Ensure that government has access to appropriate equipment that may be needed during and after extreme weather events that include high winds, extreme snowfall, or ice storms;
• Modernize our light-vehicle fleet by prioritizing the procurement of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric vehicles;
• Incorporate a policy to prioritize the installation of modern, clean heating systems when replacing oil-fired systems in existing government-owned properties;
• Review all Access PEI locations and infrastructure to ensure the needs of our growing population are being met;
• Working with your cabinet colleagues, develop a service delivery model to deliver services online, by phone, or in-person for other Departments through Service PEI ensuring they are user-friendly and consistently delivered; and
• Working with the Minister of Finance, lead an internal working group to explore implementing a single point of access for provincial government services.

While you accomplish your work, I ask that you assess the impacts of each policy decision by using evidence-based tools and frameworks to ensure we always consider the impacts on climate, gender, diversity, and vulnerable individuals before implementing a decision.  

As we progress through our mandate, we will work together to identify further refinement and priorities of focus.  We must be nimble as a government and be able to adapt to the realities of what Islanders are facing each and every day. To do this, I ask that you have regular outreach with key stakeholders connected to your department and the work that your department does.  Along with the leadership in your department, I ask that you regularly communicate with stakeholders and community organizations.  

I look forward to working with you to improve the lives of all Islanders.

Sincerely,

Hon. Dennis King
Premier of Prince Edward Island
CC.     Brian Matheson, Deputy Minister – Department of Transportation and Infrastructure