Opposition leader following government�s lead, says Minister Tulk

Industry, Trade and Rural Development Minister Beaton Tulk says he�s pleased that Opposition Leader Danny Williams agrees with the strategic partnership initiative announced yesterday by government, labour and business leaders.

However, says Mr. Tulk, "Mr. Williams has got his chronology all wrong. He�s got things backwards. Instead of borrowing a page from Conservative policy as Mr. Williams suggests, our initiative was in the works for a considerable period of time before it was announced yesterday."

Mr. Tulk was reacting to Mr. Williams comments in the news media that the strategic partnership initiative was "just another example of them capitalizing on a policy that was initiated by the Conservatives." Mr. Williams had said that in his inaugural address on April 7 last year, as well as his address to NAPE and the St. John�s Board of Trade, he spoke about "a specific partnership like this."

"Mr. Williams appears to be a bit confused about how and when our strategic partnership with business and labour came about," said Mr. Tulk. "If you know anything at all about the background of this initiative, you would see that Mr. Williams took a page directly from government�s economic agenda, not the other way around as he suggests."

Mr. Tulk noted the following order of events:

• In September of 1999, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador launched a comprehensive, province-wide public consultation process to renew its economic agenda and maintain the province�s economic momentum. One of the underlying principles of the document used as the basis for public consultation was: "Building consensus about the need for change and creating strategic partnerships among governments, business, labour, academia, and community-based organizations to achieve common goals and to build economic success." During the more than 300 presentations heard by the Cabinet Committee on Jobs and Growth, presentations given by labour and business groups and others repeatedly stated that in order to grow the economy, government must find a more effective way for government, business and labour to work together collaboratively.
  
• In March 2000, government released its Interim Report on the Renewal Strategy for Jobs and Growth. One of the priorities in the interim report was: "In partnership with business and labour, government will explore new models of strategic co-operation and collaboration to guide our overall economy in the new millennium." In its Final Report on a Renewal Strategy for Jobs and Growth, released in March 2001, government reiterated that commitment.
  
• Throughout 2000 and 2001, government acted on that commitment. A dedicated team of senior business, labour and government representatives explored new models of strategic cooperation, including a review of partnership models in several countries, notably, Iceland, Ireland and the Netherlands.
  
• Labour, business and government also worked co-operatively and successfully on two significant initiatives � the review of the Workers� compensation system, and the Labour Standards Act. The strategic partnership initiative announced January 17, builds on these successes.
  
• Mr. Williams gave his inaugural speech on April 7, 2001 � just more than a year after government released its Interim Report on the Renewal Strategy for Jobs and Growth, and a month after government had released its Final Report on the Renewal Strategy for Jobs and Growth.

"I am pleased that Mr. Williams liked our commitment to strategic partnership so much that he adopted it," said Mr. Tulk. "I should also point out to him that the dedicated team of senior business, labour and government officials who made our partnership initiative possible, met on numerous occasions over the past two years � far more than the monthly meetings Mr. Williams suggested in interviews there should be."

Media contact: Josephine Cheeseman, Communications (709) 729-4570.

2002 01 18                         4:30 p.m.