Offensive and stupid, quite frankly

From the Memory Hole, May 2008:

Former deputy health minister John Abbott told the inquiry that the government's communications staff monitored and manipulated the province's wildly popular radio call-in shows to deliver key messages to the public on various issues, including revelations there were persistent problems with breast-cancer testing in the province dating back to 1997.

According to Abbott, the government's strategy was a "fairly recent trend" that had a "significant impact on how government does business."

Williams angrily denied Abbott's testimony.

"I can tell you categorically, unequivocally, that John Abbott is completely wrong if he's implying that government decisions are made on the basis of open-line shows," Williams said in an interview.

"I find that offensive and stupid, quite frankly."