"We accept that the people of the province wanted a change in government. We also accepted the new role that the people of the province asked us to do on their behalf, hold this government accountable for their decisions," said Mr. Grimes. "From our analysis of the first twelve months of Danny Williams rule, the approach and decisions that have been made are a far cry from what the people of Newfoundland and Labrador voted for in last year’s election.

"We contended that they had a hidden agenda of cutbacks, layoffs and service reductions before they even took office. It is obvious that their election promises were made to serve one purpose, to ensure they got elected. What do we have to show for their actions? We have the worst labour relations climate in the province in decades; a frontal attack on the services the people of this province use on a daily basis; an education system that is suffering through an ill thought out restructuring plan; hundreds of layoffs and job cuts; increased fees; the creation of a social deficit in the province; a government that key ministers no longer feel they can work under; and a government that says it is open and accountable, but obviously does not follow up their words with action. Is this what the people of the province voted for last fall? We certainly don’t think so.

"After one year in government, the Premier has decided to scrap the majority of his 134 election promises. It is now obvious that he misled the people of the province. The disappointment in this government is loud and clear through the calls that we receive in our office, the stories in the media and the general conversations on the street. If this Premier wants to regain the confidence of the electorate, a good first step would be a commitment to go back to his election platform and follow-up his statements with action. Start implementing election promises and improving the economy or rural Newfoundland and Labrador as he continuously promises in every public media event."