House Speaker Derek Bennett is reviewing comments made by Justice Minister John Hogan after he accused NDP MHA Lela Evans of spreading mistruths in the provincial legislature.

Over the last week, Evans has presented two petitions, both of which were related to the legal system and abuse – including sexual abuse.

The first was more broad, relating to educational practices around the prevention of sexual abuse and gender based violence, while the second was specifically asking for changes to the Limitations Act.

Hogan stood after each presentation to correct what he believes is misinformation contained within the petitions and Evans’ comments, at one point stating that it was the second time that he had to “correct the Member for Torngat Mountains on her mistruths.”

Evans raised a point of order on Hogan’s comments in the House yesterday. She says the petitions belong to survivors, and to accuse her of spreading mistruths is to accuse the victims as well. She says that “this is a hill I’m willing to die on.”

Hogan says he rose to make sure that people in the province know that the provincial government takes abuse claims very seriously.

Specifically, Hogan comments on an accusation that Evans made stating that government is “accepting abuse and torture of children by not reversing the statute of limitations.”

Hogan says government has acknowledged that such incidents have happened, but they “don’t accept it ever happening, whether its in institutions, whether its at correctional facilities, whether its at schools, anywhere, whether it’s at people’s homes.”