The president of the 2009 Canada Games host society says a financial settlement with a P.E.I. hotel was not the result of political interference.
Joseph Spriet says a payment was made to the Stanley Bridge Country Resort for unused rooms during the Canada Games, but denies Health Minister Carolyn Bertram had any involvement in the deal.
Last summer, the P.E.I. Canada Games host society arranged agreements with various hotels across the province to block off rooms for visiting athletes, coaches and media. The Stanley Bridge Country Resort was one of those contracted to block off a number of rooms.
On Tuesday, Opposition MLA Mike Currie alleged Bertram stepped in and ordered the host society to pay for the blocked-off rooms even though no one stayed in them
Spriet says that was not the case.
The host society did pay for unused rooms at the Stanley Bridge resort, but Spriet said it was because the society didn't release them by the agreed upon date.
"We were late on that in this particular case, so they were exposed," Spriet told The Guardian on Wednesday. "We dropped the ball and we recognized it and dealt with it."
Spriet would not say how much was paid to the resort, except to say that the $30,000 figure Currie alleged in the legislature Tuesday was incorrect.
He also said that Currie was wrong about Bertram's involvement in the settlement.
On Tuesday, Currie accused Bertram of stepping in on behalf of her constituent to get this settlement paid.
The Stanley Bridge Country Resort is located within the Rustico-Emerald riding represented by Bertram.
Spriet says these allegations of political interference are just not true.
"I would not have accepted, nor would it have been welcome, to have political interference in the Canada Games host society," Spriet said.
"When I took on the position, one of my demands, and I didn't have very many, was that there would be no political interference and I told that to Premier Pat Binns when I was first appointed and to Premier (Robert) Ghiz when subsequently he asked me to stay on when his government came into power."
Spriet said he was personally involved in the negotiations with Stanley Bridge and would have known if Bertram or any of her staff were involved in the discussions.
The issue came up in question period again on Wednesday. Bertram denied any involvement in the financial arrangement reached between the host society and the Stanley Bridge Country Resort.
"I have nothing to hide," she said.
"There was no interference."
Spriet said there was one other P.E.I. hotel that received financial compensation for unused rooms, but would not give any details. In that case the fault was again with the host society, he said.
twright@theguardian.pe.ca
