As P.E.I. Tourism Minister Zack Bell stickhandled his way through more questions about a controversial contract with the National Hockey League, an all-party legislative committee rejected his offer to confidentially share details of the deal that were previously redacted.
But Bell said its contents can’t be shared outside a court or government agency because the province could get sued by the NHL under a confidentiality clause in the contract.
“I don’t want to be responsible for breaking that contract because again, I still see this as a good contract for Islanders,” Bell said in the legislature Tuesday.
Nonetheless, the committee has given Bell until Thursday to produce the full contract or face the possibility of a subpoena.
Opposition Liberal MLA Robert Henderson said Bell should have known the contract would raise questions.
“He knew right up front there was a confidentiality agreement in it. He should have, in all good consciousness, he should have said no, I can’t sign this. I’m accountable to the taxpayers in Prince Edward Island. It’s obvious there’s going to be some questions come from this.”
The deal brands P.E.I. as the ‘official travel destination of the NHL.’ (CBC)
Bell has said the NHL contract is worth $2.5 million, but the dollar amounts were removed from the copy he tabled in the legislature last week. He said he has informed the NHL about the committee’s request to release the contents of the contract, and would report back to the legislature.
Where does he get the idea that Islanders cannot be trusted with this information? — Hal Perry
He maintains the deal, which makes P.E.I. the “official travel destination of the NHL,” is good for P.E.I., pointing to what he said is a corresponding increase in tourism numbers.
Interim Liberal Leader Hal Perry said Bell should prove the contract’s worth by releasing it to the public, calling the minister and his government “arrogant” and “out of touch” for withholding the details.
“Really, just how important does the minister think he is?” Perry said. “Where does he get the idea that Islanders cannot be trusted with this information?”
The government hasn’t said if it plans to renew the contract after the end of this year.
In the contract the minister tabled, figures for the second and third years were also removed, including what it’ll cost if P.E.I. is chosen to host the end-of-season NHL awards show, and what it costs to get out of the contract.
Premier Dennis King said it “would be in the best interest of me, my minister, our government, and the people of
Prince Edward Island for this contract to be released.”
“I’ve made it known to the National Hockey League that I would like them to allow this to be released so that we could take this dark cloud that the opposition parties are trying to paint into something negative that is really, really amazing.”