Premier Danny Williams' administration is shutting down the House of Assembly two days early.
In light of this release today from Kathy Dunderdale, noting that a $70,000 contract was let at Bull Arm without any contract, let alone a tender or request for proposals, it would seem the Premier is cutting and running from public scrutiny. The former chief executive officer at Bull Arm - the one doing the illegal contracting - was Danny Williams' hand-picked appointee. She was fired while he was out of the House (out of the province?).
In any other administration in this province, save a few, this sort of activity would usually mean the Queen's Cowboys would be called in.
Today's sudden development means that since 2004, the legislature has sat annually fewer days than at any time since the 1980s. At one point, Brian Peckford went about 18 months without calling the House into session.
Bond Papers already covered the issue of the part-time legislators, if your memory needs refreshing.
