In a media scrum today, Premier Danny Williams said that finance minister Loyola Sullivan will no longer be part of any cabinet discussions with respect to Fishery Products International and the proposal by Barry Group to take over FPI's assets in the province.
Sullivan's brother is Karl Sullivan, a senior executive with Barry Group.
Apparently, the Premier suddenly noticed the relationship between his finance minister and the Barry Group. It doesn't appear to have been an issue when the government provided Barry group with loan guarantees, when Barry Group stepped into the Harbour Breton schlamozzle or, for that matter when the Premier and his fisheries minister pushed to get Barry's seal oil capsules back on the shelves at Costco.
No word today though on how the province will deal with any financial implications of the FPI mess since the finance minister has removed himself from the files.
But anyway, since the provincial government appears in the mood to address conflicts of interest when dealing with the Barry Group, what about the relationship between
fisheries minister Tom "Toque" Rideout and the same Karl Sullivan, brother of the finance minister?
Karl was chief of staff to Tom Rideout for the 43 days Rideout was premier. He also served Rideout as deputy minister of fisheries back in the 1980s.
Who gives a turbot's fingernails if Karl and Loyola share the same parents when the cabinet minister in charge of the FPI file - Tom Rideout - has a long-standing relationship with one the Barry Group's senior executives?
Maybe it's time for Danny Williams to find a new job for Tom Rideout too.