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From the proceedings in the Bow-Wow Parliament of November 21, 2001:

MR. WILLIAMS: The shameful action was your firing employees of the Cabot 500 and costing the people of Newfoundland and Labrador $1 million.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WILLIAMS: As Minister of Tourism, do you think your actions constituted mismanagement? Yes or no, Premier?

PREMIER GRIMES: The issues that were dealt with at that time were done by me personally, acting as a Minister of the Crown with legal advice, which indicated that what I was doing was proper and legal. People challenged that. You would understand that as a lawyer. I accepted legal advice which said what I was doing was right and proper. Of course, we are not allowed to take legal advice now that you are now a part-time politician. Normally you would understand that.

The legal advice was that the action that we were taking was proper and appropriate. It was challenged. They had legal advice suggesting that it was not. It went to court, Mr. Speaker, and the courts ruled in favour of the former employees of the Cabot Corporation. A proper process, but not an action taken with any vindictiveness by the government or any intention to cause any kind of a problem for anybody. They can suggest that if they like, Mr. Speaker, and they will answer for that again in the court of public opinion which is where we deal because we are politicians who deal with the people of the Province, not the legal niceties.

Mr. Speaker, I will not get into issues of whereby the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in private practice, was involved in things like the firewood operation out in Lewisporte that had all kinds of money from the government that was never, ever paid back, Mr. Speaker. So, I guess that is okay and that is good fiscal management, and it is not a problem.

MR. WILLIAMS: Mr. Speaker, if I were in the Premier’s seat, I would take responsibility.