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December 4, 1997
(Executive Council)

The following statement was issued today Beaton Tulk, Government House Leader. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

I rise on a point of clarification in response to an Evening Telegram editorial of today titled "Arming the RNC" which says, and I quote, "What is disappointing about the whole issue is the refusal of the Justice Minister to hold public hearings on the proposed changes. Clearly, the public has a right to be heard on something this important to their future safety."

The Justice Minister announced on November 28 that government has decided to re-examine the arming policy of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, in the interest of ensuring that the lives of the public and those of the RNC officers are properly protected. The minister said at that time that he, and the chief of police, would be speaking publicly about the arming issue over the coming weeks in an effort to raise the level of awareness on this important issue, and he also requested the members of the House to pass along the views of their constituents on the matter.

On December 1, just three days ago, the Justice Minister took the consultation process a step further, and announced, and I quote, "Government has decided to hold more formal consultations on this issue, and will consult with the opposition to form a Select Committee of the House of Assembly. It is our hope that this committee, made up of members from both sides of the House of Assembly, will begin consultations on the RNC firearms policy with affected communities early in the new year."

I'm pleased that The Evening Telegram agrees with government that the public has a right to be heard on this important public policy. However, the writer of today's editorial appears to have overlooked Mr. Decker's announcement of only three days ago about the appointment of a Select Committee of the House of Assembly to do public consultation on this matter. In contrast to the assertion in the Telegram editorial, we are quite committed to the process of consultation, and we are giving those interested in this issue a full and fair opportunity to express their views.

Furthermore, I am also pleased to advise that we moved two days ago to appoint members to the Select Committee. They are Ralph Wiseman, John Ottenheimer, Bob Mercer, Perry Canning and Bob French.

Our staff have brought this oversight to the attention of The Evening Telegram.

In conclusion, I encourage the committee to be thorough in their consultations, and I look forward to hearing from them early in the New Year.