Liberals made cash deal with skate club for Kaetlyn Osmond tickets

Some Liberals, includingPremierDwight Ball, were given free seatsto Kaetlyn Osmond's performance in Marystown last year after offering a grant to the local skating club organizing the event, emails obtained by the CBC show.

Osmond's appearance, at the arena named after her on April 15, 2018, was the hottest ticket in town. The figure skater was fresh off her world championship and Olympic wins, andhad returned to Marystownfor a thank you performance at the season-ending show ofthe Ice CrystalSkate Club.

Ticket demand far outstripped supply, and members of the government were among those seeking some of the 1,000-oddseats.

"The Provincial Govis looking for 30 tickets to the Ice Show," wroteTara Planke,an assistant to local MHA Mark Browne, in an emailto the club.

"There will be some monetary donations being given to the ICSC from the Gov."

• Arena jam-packed for Osmond performance

• Pride, joy, tears: Marystown celebrates Kaetlyn Osmond

The Liberals ended up with the best seats in the house, and the clubreceived a $1,500 grant.

$600 cost

All 10 board members for the Ice Crystals were shown the email offer before accepting the deal, which eventually included 34tickets total.

Thatdeal meant forsakingthe $20 value of each ticket,a total of $680 in revenue. Balancing that against the grant, the club would be left with $820. The deal also pulled 34tickets out of circulation for local fans, friends and family.

In a second email, Browne's office assured the club it would not be losing money by giving away the freebies.

"With the extra funds that we can secure for the Club, the granting of these tickets will be more than be covered from a monetary perspective," wrote Planke.

That email asked for three of the 34tickets to be allotted to Ball, three for Browne, two for Burin-Grand Bank MHA Carol Anne Haley and single ones for other MHAs andstaff. It also outlined to the skate club whyhaving top Liberals attend was an "excellent opportunity" for Marystown.

"This is a terrific chance to showcase our area, have issues of importance brought to their attention," a line read.

'No free tickets':Browne

In an emailed response to CBCon Monday, Browne stated "no free tickets were used," saying the premier gave him "clear direction last spring to purchase tickets for the event."

Browne provided a letter from the Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development to the mayor of Marystown,outlining the $1,500 in funding allotted tothe skating club, as part of a $6,500 subsidy toward the cost of bringing Osmondto Marystown.

I have done nothing wrong.- Mark Browne

That letter came more than two weeks after the emails from Browne's assistant and the skate club, offering a grant in exchange for tickets.

In Monday's response, Brown told CBC, "There is an ulterior motive to holding this item until the middle of an election campaign."

He added, "I have done nothing wrong."

Two of the Liberals at the ice show told CBC Newson condition of anonymitythatthey offered to pay for their tickets, and were told they were already taken care of.

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