Not his department

It would appear that Paul Oral, he of the freakishly large memory, may not be quite so infallible after all. Andrew Robinson reported in this week's Gander Beacon:

Health minister Paul Oram said briefing notes referred to in an interview with The Beacon shortly after he took over the health and community services portfolio in early July were not prepared for him.

Last week, CBC News were told by the Department of Health that no briefing documents or notes were prepared for the MHA for Terra Nova District after he left the business portfolio to look after health. CBC used access to information laws to make the request.

In a telephone interview with The Beacon conducted the same week he was announced as the new health minister, Minister Oram said he had briefing notes on his desk waiting for him to go over.

"I'm sitting at my desk here now with, I don't know, maybe 24 inches of briefing notes and books and everything I have to go over. So there's a load of work here to do - there's no question about that. I just need to get brought up to speed, and I've had individuals in my office this whole day in fact briefing me on the department."

You would think someone of Paul Oral's powers of recollection would remember that the briefing notes weren't his own. (So, whose were they?)

So, he either didn't remember — human fallibility being why they invented writing, Minister Oral — or he did remember, but, contrary to His Dear Premier's solemn vow, he wasn't being very open or accountable.

Which is it?