Outgoing minister plans to continue to advocate for Islanders

Tina Mundy, outgoing family and human services minister for P.E.I., is hopeful the incoming government will continue the work she got started in the portfolio.

The Liberal government was soundly defeated in the election Tuesday, dropping to just six seats in the legislature. Mundy was one of a number of cabinet ministers who did not win re-election.

"There was more to do and I'm sorry I don't have my hand in it," she said.

"We had a lot of plans for the future."

Mundy said watching the vote counts come in election night was surreal, because she had not felt as she went door-to-door during the campaign that the tide was running against her.

Budget passes $100M

Mundy oversaw significant growth in the Family and Human Services Department.

The first budget of the Wade MacLauchlan government in 2015 had a budget of $94 million for the department. By 2018 it had grown to $121 million.

Some of the government's plans for the future were public before the election was called, such as for reducing poverty and improving access to housing.

"You will be seeing continuing improvements within social programs because of that poverty reduction action plan," she said.

"There were 67 recommendations that came out of that action plan."

Ready to help

Mundy recognizes the new government could move in its own direction, but she hopes the Progressive Conservatives will look closely at the plans the Liberals put in place.

"They talked about, you know, it's about people," she said.

"It would be my hope that it would still be about people and that they would carry on."

Mundy said she has always been ready to speak up for her community, and that will continue even though she no longer holds an elected office.

She said when she congratulated the successful Green candidate, Steve Howard, she told him she was ready to help.

"I'll continue to be a big voice. I'm not going to be someone who is going to attack government, that'snot my style," she said.

"But you will hear from me and I will continue to advocate for all Islanders."

Mundy said she has already had offers about what she might do next, but she is taking some time to reflect on that.

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