Blame game

Mr. Accountability has a funny idea of taking responsibility.

There will, of course, be no consequences for this bad advice, nor any other.

PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr. Speaker, I can assure the people of this Province that we have done the right thing. I can assure him and assure them that we have taken their assets and we have protected those assets. Those assets would have been lost to an irresponsible company that did not give a darn about the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, the people of Central Newfoundland and Labrador.

They would not; they would have walked away from their responsibilities. They either would have gone into consumer protection, they would have gone bankrupt or they would have done what they were in the process of doing and that was trying to sell off those assets to somebody else.

What we have done is protected the interests of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. The hon. members opposite agreed with that in principle; they were present that day, they were fully informed. If a mistake occurred - it is irresponsible of the hon. members opposite to try and say now that as a result of that minor mistake which actually happens to give us the most valuable piece of real estate in Grand Falls, that that is now saddling this Province with the environmental liability. That is absolutely untrue and erroneous. I do not how far I can go with regard to parliamentary protocol as to what I can say –

AN HON. MEMBER: Misleading is (inaudible) a word.

PREMIER WILLIAMS: Is misleading okay?

AN HON. MEMBER: Misleading is okay.

PREMIER WILLIAMS: You are misleading the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I say to the Premier, misleading is unparliamentary and I ask the hon. the Premier to withdraw the remark.

PREMIER WILLIAMS: Absolute withdrawal. I received bad advice, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Did the hon. the Premier withdraw the remark?

PREMIER WILLIAMS: Yes, I did.