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December 19, 1997
(Executive Council)

The following statement was issued today by Premier Brian Tobin. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

Efforts to block Term 17

Yesterday, the Senate by a wide margin approved the new Term 17 that had been overwhelmingly approved by the House of Commons, unanimously approved by the House of Assembly and supported by 73 per cent of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians in the September referendum.

Today, the Roman Catholic Church made an application to the Supreme Court of Newfoundland to attempt to prevent the Governor General, Romeo LeBlanc, from issuing the proclamation necessary to bring the new Term 17 into effect. The lawyer for the church sought to have the application heard without any lawyer for the government present. No hearing took place today.

This latest effort to frustrate the will of the people of this province is all the more remarkable in light of the fact that a recent poll by Corporate Research Associates showed that 82 per cent of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians support approval of the new Term 17.

The people have decided, the province's legislature has decided and now the federal Parliament has decided. It is time for all members of the community to accept this decision and for us to get on with the important job of creating a single school system for the benefit of all our children.