Minister waiting on answer from opposition

Minister of Justice and Attorney General Kelvin Parsons challenges the Opposition Leader to reveal his party�s plan for the future of Newfoundland and Labrador and to clarify the party�s position on the Mining Tax Act.

Minister Parsons said in the House of Assembly on May 5 the Opposition is talking from both sides of their mouth. The minister uses the Amendments to the Mining Tax Act as an example to explain the party�s inconsistency and lack of fortitude on important issues.

"You cannot on one hand say, �we want more money for health care, we have to find a plan to have money for education, we have to have a way to get more money into the coffers for needed infrastructure in the Province.� Everybody agrees that you have to have a way to do that. One of those ways is to make sure that the people who use our resources pay something for the use of them and the benefits they get from them," said the minister. "We saw an Opposition who, when we were trying to maximize these royalties, oppose that piece of legislation. That is improper."

"That is not in the best interest of the province and that is not where we need to go. If that is the kind of change we are looking towards, where we protect the interest of the rich and forget about the blue-collar man in our society, then we do have a problem," said Minister Parsons.

Minister Parsons asks the Leader of the Official Opposition where he stands on this issue.

"I have never heard or seen the Leader of Opposition stand in this House and speak to a piece of legislation without having a prepared script and to give a definitive answer when he is called upon to do so," he said. "When you see so many examples in the last two years of one thing today and another position tomorrow, or, �I can�t comment on that at all�, that is when I get suspicious."

Minister Parsons said the government�s position on the Mining Tax Act is clear. "This government took the position that if you are lucky enough to find a Voisey�s Bay, and you are going to make millions and millions of dollars in royalties from that find, then it is a logical step that you should pay a reasonable, fair share back to the public purse so that you can use it in this province to do things like health care and education and much needed infrastructure."

Media contact: Edwina Bateman, Communications (709) 729-6985

2003 05 07                                    1:55 p.m.