The Opposition finance critic sought clarification on a statement made in the House of Assembly by the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Barry Petten indicating that “we haven’t found them all yet” in reference to politically-appointed public servants.

“We’re only 130-odd days in, I think there’s lots and lots of people poked away in this government, in these buildings that this crowd over here, when they were on this side, got poked. We haven’t found then all yet, we will get there, eventually, we haven’t found…they’ve done a great job of hiding them. But I assure you, when we do, we’ll take corrective action.”

That raised the ire of Sarah Stoodley who accused the PCs of governing with fear.

“I’m flabbergasted that you would say such a thing Minister” Stoodley told the House of Assembly. “Should the public servants be afraid here Speaker?”

Petten responded, “I’ll say this to the member opposite and say it to anyone in the public service, if you’re hired on and doing your job you have no worries. Unlike the previous administration, there was a parade of people being let out by security every day.”

“That will not happen under this administration. But I will tell you, if you got your political appointees put into different areas that are just there as a political appointee, well maybe we have to have a deeper look” as the province deals with a $1 billion deficit. “If they don’t belong there, then they’ll go.”