Debate in the House of Assembly will continue this morning on the reprimand of cabinet minister Christopher Mitchelmore. MHA’s sat last night for almost two hours.

A report by the Citizen’s Representative found the minister guilty of “gross mismanagement” and in violation of policy. Premier Ball says the numbers at The Rooms are up by about five per cent, and that relations between them and government have improved since Foote’s arrival a year-and-a-half ago.

The PCs are accusing government of ordering potentially damaging emails involving the hiring of Carla Foote at The Rooms to be destroyed, but the premier tells a different story.

Foote was hand-picked for the $130,000 a year position without competition.

Premier Dwight Ball is now going to do a review of lateral movements within government at the executive level but Christopher Mitchelmore will remain in cabinet.

PC MHA Helen Conway Ottenheimer says emails cancelling the hiring of another person in a similar but lesser position at the Rooms were ordered by Government to be destroyed. She says the email in question contained a letter rescinding the contract of an unnamed person to make way for Foote. Ball says the report explained that, and that he was referring to transitory records.

Mitchelmore has said he will apologize, but to whom is uncertain. Regardless, Premier Dwight Ball will not be taking any further action against his minister.

The premier says he had no involvement in Foote’s hiring but he sung her praises to the highest degree in the House yesterday.

Independent MHA Paul Lane is not impressed. He said Ball’s response was “just not going to cut it.”