Sherry Gambin-Walsh removed from provincial cabinet
Finance Minister Tom Osborne will assume Gambin-Walsh's portfolio
MHA Sherry Gambin-Walsh has been removed from provincial cabinet and is now being investigated by police.
"Yesterday, Ms. Sherry Gambin-Walsh contacted me and informed me that she was served with a general warrant. It was at that point that I immediately took the necessary steps to remove her from cabinet and her cabinet responsibilities," Premier Dwight Ball said in a statement Saturday.
Gambin-Walsh will continue in her role as MHA for Placentia – St. Mary's.
In the release, Ball announced changes to his cabinet. Finance Minister Tom Osborne will assume the role of acting minister responsible for Workplace NL, acting minister responsible for Service NL and acting minister responsible for the Public Procurement Agency, effective April 3.
"Minister Osborne brings a wealth of experience and I am confident he will approach his new acting roles with the same level of commitment and professionalism that he has continuously demonstrated," Ball said in the release.
In a media briefing Saturday afternoon, Ball said Osborne was sworn into his new portfolio following the province's Saturday COVID-19 briefing. Ball said one of the factors in choosing Osborne was his availability for in-person meetings in a time where other ministers are working from home.
Hours before the announcement, CBC News learned the RCMP executed a warrant against a cabinet minister in Premier Dwight Ball's government Friday and seized the minister's cellphones.
The action was taken because of an unproven allegation that the minister in question leaked information in contravention of a cabinet minister's duty to maintain secrecy.
According to Ball and the warrant, the warrant stems from issues of "a breach of cabinet confidences" between June 1, 2018 and March 12, 2020. Ball would not speak to specifics as the police investigation is still ongoing.
Ball said he does not know of any cabinet ministers who have been contacted as part of the investigation.
He added the investigation will not impact the province's response to COVID-19.
CBC News had also learned that Justice Minister Andrew Parsons has advised the premier that he should seek the resignation of the minister at the centre of the controversy.
Parsons has not responded to a message left for him on this topic at the time of first reporting. In the later media briefing, Ball told the media he had not spoken to Parsons on the matter, saying "this was a decision I made as premier of the province."
Ball added Gambin-Walsh will remain in the Liberal caucus for the time being, as she showed no intention to want to leave the caucus. He said the Liberal minority government had no influence on keeping Gambin-Walsh in the caucus.
The premier also said he is not thinking of a cabinet shuffle at this time.
'I maintain my innocence'
In a Facebook post Saturday evening, Gambin-Walsh wrote that she is not guilty of breaching confidence, but chose to leave cabinet after being served with the warrant.
"I informed Premier Ball and I agreed to voluntarily leave cabinet pending the outcome of the investigation. I am presumed innocent according to law and I maintain my innocence publicly," the post read.
"Pending the outcome of the investigation, I will continue to work hard for you, my constituents, as your member of the House of Assembly."
Gambin-Walsh wrote that she won't be making any further comments until the police investigation is completed.
