TORONTO, Ont. – Just days after 20,000 more pages about the cancellation of the Oakville and Mississauga power plants were made public, two high-ranking Liberal MPPs are trying to correct the record.
Energy Minister Chris Bentley and government House Leader John Milloy both rose before Question Period on Monday to say they never intended to mislead anyone when they said all of the relevant documents had been released on Sept. 24, 2012.
As the opposition parties jeered, Bentley insisted there was no deliberate attempt to provide incorrect information to the legislature.
“I honestly believe that the 36,000 pages originally provided were those documents,” Bentley said.
However, the Opposition isn’t buying it and wants the speaker to rule on a point of privilege which alleges the liberals mislead the legislature.
In the legislature, Premier Dalton McGuinty blamed bureaucrats for the mistake, not politicians.
“Officials, and only officials, were involved in the selection of documents to meet the committee request,” McGuinty said.
“We’ve now had several occasions where they have actually lied to MPPs,” Hudak said.
Another 20,000 pages on the cancelled energy projects were released Friday, prompting Hudak to say McGuinty “lied” to the legislature.
Hudak told a news conference that McGuinty “lied” to cover up the true cost of cancelling the power plants, which the government said is $230 million, but the opposition parties put at a minimum of $650 million.
The fight by the Tories and NDP to get the documents from the Liberals triggered a contempt motion against Bentley that derailed all other legislative business for a week.
Despite an impassioned, last-minute plea from McGuinty the opposition parties out-voted the minority government to send the contempt motion, and the issue of the gas plant documents, to the Finance Committee, which is to begin hearings this week.
Bentley, Milloy clarify legislative record on release of gas plant documents
Charlene Close and The Canadian Press
Gas Prices
680News Android App
Weather Guarantee
Advertiser Directory

Comments
Editor's note: Comments which include offensive or inappropriate language will be deleted. Healthy debate is encouraged but we will not permit any personal attacks. View our comment policy here.