Despite a tumultuous start, the premier says yesterday’s debate was “exactly” what they wanted it to be.

The plan for the day was quickly thrown off kilter yesterday with the defection of Lake Melville MHA Keith Russell to sit as an independent.

There was a short recess and the House quickly got back on track.

Tony Wakeham says what government wanted was for people in the province to hear directly from those that negotiated the deal and how they arrived at the decisions they did.

He says people saw that yesterday with how lead negotiator Barry Perry was questioned, noting that the debate is about people learning how the deal was framed up.