A few tense words were exchanged in the House of Assembly on Tuesday after questions were raised about the wage grid for child care workers set to be implemented April 1.

PC Education Critic Barry Petten questioned Minister John Haggie when he made comments about the wage grid, noting that it is three months behind schedule. He accused government of pushing it back to April to coincide with the budget.

Haggie responded by noting that the system will be retroactive to January 1, and that daycare operators asked for more time to make sure the new wage structure could be developed and implemented.

Petten disputes Haggie’s claims. “They never asked for time, they asked for a wage grid,” asserted Petten, who went on to accuse Haggie of ” misleading” the House with his comments.

Haggie fired back, saying he is not misleading people and that Petten is putting words in his mouth and distorting the facts.