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News
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Thistle questions spending of hundreds of thousands of
dollars on inactive Ottawa office November 30, 2005
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Anna Thistle, Opposition Finance Critic and MHA for the District of Grand
Falls - Buchans, asked questions in the House of Assembly this afternoon
concerning the status of the Newfoundland and Labrador Office of
Federal-Provincial relations that has been left vacant since the resignation
of Bill Rowe in February. "While Premier Williams has stated on many occasions that the Ottawa office was crucial to the successful handling of issues important to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, it raises many questions regarding why this position was left vacant for months," said Thistle. "Mr. Rowe vacated the office in March of this year and no replacement has been selected. The Premier confirmed today that a number of applications were received by the closing date of March 18th as advertised. "I am not questioning the need or role of the Ottawa office today, but I believe the taxpayers of this province deserve to know how their tax dollars are being spent. An administrative assistant has been on staff and office space leased in Ottawa at a budgeted cost to government of $350,000 annually. The Premier announced today that no new representative will be selected until at least the end of the federal election. "I find it hard to justify the expenditure of $350,000 in public money for an empty office in Ottawa that is presently serving no benefit to the people of this province. Concerns were raised by some people about the expenditure of these funds to open an office in Ottawa in the first place, but I believe most would agree that spending money for an empty office is not only pointless, but a waste of money. It is time for the Premier to either hire another provincial representative or close the office being paid for at enormous cost to taxpayers." |
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