Graham defends minister's ouster over NB Power

Premier Shawn Graham says he had "no choice" but to ask Tourism and Parks Minister Stuart Jamieson to resign from cabinet for suggesting the proposed deal between NB Power and Hydro-Qubecbe put to a referendum.

"Mr. Jamieson has broken cabinet solidarity and leaves me no choice but to ask him to step aside," Graham said in a written statement, posted late Friday on the government's website.

'The custom of cabinet consensus must be maintained.' Premier Shawn Graham

"I have the upmost [sic] respect for Mr. Jamieson and it has been an honour to serve with him. However, the custom of cabinet consensus must be maintained," he said.

"Jamieson has indicated that, while he believes the energy agreement between Quebec and New Brunswick is in the best interest of the province, he cannot support it with a vote in the legislature," the statement reads.

"This was not the direction cabinet and caucus has chosen to take, prompting the removal of Jamieson from cabinet."

In an interview with CBC News on Saturday, Graham said Jamieson knew he'd be asked to step down.

"The former minister and I had a conversation on Thursday. And then on Friday we followed up when he told me that he was not going to be able to support the deal as it stood. And that's when I asked him to step down from cabinet and he recognized that that would be the repercussion of his decision," he said.

"When we brought forward the revised deal where we kept full ownership of NB Power as a Crown Corporation in the province of New Brunswick, the caucus support was unanimous and that's why it's unfortunate that Stuart Jamieson chose not to provide that support."

HdardAlbert, minister of wellness, culture and sport, and minister responsible for the Francophonie, has been appointed acting minister of tourism, effective immediately, Graham said.

Opposition Leader David Alward said he's not surprised by Jamieson's resignation. He believes there will be more to come over the controversial deal to sell parts of NB Power to Hydro-Qubec.

"The premier is operating in crisis mode right now in order to deal with the uprising within his caucus," Alward said. "He's not listening to ordinary members of the party, either. He's not listening to New Brunswickers.

"The Premier is doing everything he can do to try to hold his caucus together. They're focused on trying to maintain control and not on governing New Brunswick."

No regrets

Meanwhile, Jamieson told CBC News Saturday he doesn't regret speaking out.

"I have made this decision and I have had a problem with what has taken place between New Brunswick and Quebec over these negotiations. And I felt uncomfortable that the people of New Brunswick did not have a part in this decision," he said.

'I felt uncomfortable that the people of New Brunswick did not have a part in this decision.' Stuart Jamieson, Saint John-Fundy MLA

"After speaking to a lot of the people in my own riding, my friends, family, church family, past supporters and a lot of Liberals around the province and people around the province, they felt that there should be an ability for them to represent themselves in this decision and I just felt that that point of view needed to be represented within our government."

Jamieson said he expressed his views to Graham and his fellow MLAsearlier thisweek. He accepted the premier's request that he step down as tourism minister on Friday night.

Jamieson was one of five members of the Liberal caucus who said they could not vote to support the original NB Power deal, announced in the fall.

When the revised deal was unveiled last month,the premier said it had unanimous support from his caucus.

Jamieson was first elected to the legislature as the MLA for Saint John-Fundy in 1987.

The 60-year-old father of threesaid he will stay on as MLA until the provincial election Sept. 27, but does not expect he will run again.

The proposed $3.2-billion deal, unveiled Jan. 20, would see Hydro-Qubec acquire most of NB Power's generation assets, butNew Brunswick would maintain control oftransmission and distribution.

The deal was watered down from the original $4.8-billion deal announced in October after a public outcry and open dissent within the Liberal caucus.

Ongoing upheaval

On Jan. 18, just two days before the new deal was announced, CBC News learned that three Liberal cabinet ministers and two other Liberal MLAs had informed the premier they would not vote for the contentious NB Power deal.

Social Development Minister Kelly Lamrock said during an interview that he felt he had to listen to his constituents and oppose the planned power deal.

Lamrock also said that he and fellow Fredericton MLA T.J. Burke felt bound by the 2006 election promise that a Liberal government would not sell the utility.

MLA Abel LeBlanc told CBC that Lamrock, Burke, Jamieson and Human Resources Minister Rick Brewer all told Graham they would oppose the deal.

Later that same day, Finance Minister Greg Byrne told reporters that an amended deal, which would be made public on Jan. 20, had the full support of caucus.

The sudden resignation of former justice minister Michael Murphy also fuelled talk of NB Power dissension. On Jan. 4,Murphy announcedthat he was leaving the cabinet, retiring as the MLA for Moncton North and returning to practising law.

Murphy said he wanted to spend more time with his family, but a political scientist at St. Thomas University, Tom Bateman, said that explanation is often used by politicians who don't want to admit the real reason they are stepping down.

Bateman suggested Murphy's departure from politics could open the Liberal government up to attacks that the party is cracking under pressure from the proposed NB Power deal.