Finance minster accuses MHA of having 'illicit drug market' connections during weed debate
Stephanie Kinsella | CBC News | Posted: October 31, 2018 7:59 PM | Last Updated: November 1, 2018
PC MHA Keith Hutchings demanded an apology for the comments — and got one
The deal between Canopy Growth and the government of Newfoundland and Labrador took centre stage in the House of Assembly on Wednesday — and even saw one MHA accuse another of having "some connections with the illicit drug market."
The agreement with Canopy Growth ensures a specific amount of supply, but doesn't give the province first crack at cannabis when it becomes available.
Under the two-year agreement, announced in December with an optional one-year extension, the company will provide up to 8,000 kilograms of cannabis and related products to the province annually. That supply is currently being imported into the province, but the company is in the process of building a production facility in the White Hills area of St. John's.
Within the first few days, stores ran out of product. They have since been restocked, but are once again running low.
Opposition leader Keith Hutchings has asked repeated questions about the contract since the House reopened this fall, pointing out that stores have run out product, despite the government having a contract.
On Wednesday, he continued pressing the Liberals on the deal, but the debate took an odd turn when Finance Minister Tom Osborne responded to Hutchings's questions.
"Yes supply has been down. The demand is obviously greater for the product than anybody across the country had anticipated ... We would have been in far worse shape if we didn't have a supply agreement with Canopy Growth," Osborne said.
"Maybe the member opposite [Hutchings] has some connections with the illicit drug market and can show us better numbers."
Question period continued, but it was at the end when Hutchings rose on a point of order and demanded an apology from Osborne.
"I asked a very serious question of the minister of finance. In his response, he referenced the fact [of] I having involvement in illicit drug use in this province," Hutchings said.
"For a minister of the Crown to stand up and ridicule another member of the House on a serious question. I'm far from perfect — I have a wife and family, I have two teenagers — that's not acceptable. I ask you to rule on this and put an end to this in this House once and for all," he said to Perry Trimper, Speaker of the House of Assembly.
Osborne withdrew the comment.
"The member is right — it was out of my character and he didn't deserve that comment and I fully apologize."
Another Canopy-like deal?
Hutchings had also asked Wednesday whether the government is considering similar multimillion-dollar deals with other companies when it comes to cannabis production.
"Absolutely we would look at considering these types of deals for other companies. It makes perfect sense when it comes to developing an industry here in this province.… The company is creating all of the jobs and returning the greatest return to treasury. If we didn't have it, we would be importing," said Tourism Minister Christopher Mitchelmore.
Hutchings pressed Mitchelmore about whether Canopy provided any "warranties or guarantees."
Mitchelmore said without the agreement, the province would be "in a very precarious position to provide any of our retailers with products.
"They have agreed to supply us with 8,000 kilograms of cannabis annually — not within a week — but annually."
With files from Terri Coles