CHARLOTTETOWN — P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz says the RCMP have been alerted about a former cabinet minister’s possible conflict of interest involving a permitting issue for a Summerside golf course.

On Saturday, Lantz removed Gilles Arsenault as economic development minister, saying the minister had shown poor judgment when he was environment minister.

The next day Lantz suspended Arsenault from the Progressive Conservative caucus and the province’s conflict of interest commissioner was called in to investigate.

Earlier today, Lantz provided a detailed timeline from a third-party investigation about what happened.

The premier says the investigation raised questions about Arsenault’s role in a golf course developer’s decision to donate $100,000 to a non-profit group after the minister approved a change for a project involving a wetland on the course.

Lantz confirmed today that the person in charge of the non-profit was Arsenault’s campaign manager, though the premier said it appears Arsenault did not personally benefit from the transaction.

The premier says a deputy minister alerted the RCMP about the investigation’s findings on March 13.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2026.

The Canadian Press