Legislature session may be shortest ever

With just two items on the agenda, this fall's session of the P.E.I. legislature could be the shortest on record.

The house will open Tuesday afternoon to elect a new Speaker. Carolyn Bertram is the only MLA to put her name forward, so she will be acclaimed into the Speaker's chair as the only item of business for the afternoon.

The only other thing on the agenda for this fall is the capital budget.

"It's not going to be much of a fall sitting," Premier Robert Ghiz said when he announced his cabinet two weeks ago.

"We'll do the capital budget, but similar to when we got elected last time, we'll do the speech from the throne and a major budget during the spring session."

The last time Ghiz called MLAs back to Province House after an election was for 12 days in 2007.That's currently the shortest sitting on record since P.E.I. moved to distinct fall and spring sessions in 1997. This fall sitting is expected to last just three or four days.

Opposition Leader Olive Crane said she'd like the session to last longer, but it's not up to her. There will be discussion and questions on the capital budget and that will be it.

"If government says that's all the business they have, then the house closes," said Crane.

The capital budget is expected to be presented by Finance Minister Wes Sheridan onWednesday.