For the second time in a week, the Opposition Tories have caught the government off guard by breaking news during Question Period.
Yesterday, they turned their sights on Memorial University and compensation for its president.
If anyone was expecting the Tories to be deflated following their election loss, they’d be disappointed. The Tories didn’t just lose seats, they lost the leverage that comes with minority government times.
But they’ve been anything but shrinking violets since the 50th session began, testing the Liberals with surprise briefing notes that have clearly caught the government off guard — from the offer to buy a 15 per cent stake in Terra Nova revealed last week, to yesterday’s blindside of compensation beyond the MUN president’s half-a-million-dollar salary.
(Photo courtesy Memorial University.)
Education critic Barry Petten says, Vianne Timmons received $517 for a tax preparation bill, a $12,000 car allowance, $18,000 housing allowance, $4,000 for fitness equipment and a personal trainer.
Education Minister Tom Osborne later told reporters he knew nothing about it. “I wasn’t aware of it. I asked today — we don’t have those details,” says Osborne
Petten suggested cabinet would have access to that information, but Osborne insists government wouldn’t be privy to it.
But that, he promises, will change later this year, giving government and the auditor general a line-by-line accounting of what MUN spends its money on.
Petten, meanwhile, says the revelation in the face of rising tuition is unacceptable.
He says if government is serious about fixing the province’s finances, they’ll make the change now.
