P.E.I. committee issues rare subpoena, demanding tourism minister hand over NHL contract

A P.E.I. legislative committee has taken the unusual step of issuing a subpoena, demanding the province's Tourism Minister Zack Bell provide an unredacted copy of the province's NHL sponsorship deal.

Previously Bell tabled a redacted copy of the contract in the legislature with the dollar amounts removed. In response to demands from the Standing Committee on Education and Economic Growth, Bell had offered to share the full contract in camera, depriving MLAs of the ability to publicly share what they had seen.

But in a meeting Tuesday Liberal and Green members of the committee led a rejection of the minister's offer and voted to issue the subpoena. The Greens, Liberals and governing PCs each have two voting members on the committee.

"Is government answerable to Islanders, taxpayers, or are we beholden to the NHL?" said Green MLA Peter Bevan-Baker. "For me it's a very clear answer: we are beholden to the people who put us in these seats, and whom we represent, and whose tax dollars we spend."

Bell has balked at providing the full contract because it includes a confidentiality clause. Government has said the deal is worth $2.5 million, but that appears to be the figure for only the first year. Bell has not made it clear whether the sponsorship deal will continue past Dec. 31.

In the contract the minister tabled, figures for the second and third years were also redacted, as were figures for what it would cost if P.E.I. is chosen to host the end-of-season NHL awards show, and the cost to get out of the contract.

"The minister signed this," said Liberal MLA Robert Henderson, whose motion led to the subpoena.

"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."

PC MLAs on the committee raised concerns the government could be sued by the NHL for breaching its confidentiality agreement, as did Bell during question period Tuesday.

"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.

But the confidentiality section of the contract includes a clause that stipulates information from the contract can be shared if "ordered by a court or other authority of competent jurisdiction or pursuant to a proper order of a governmental or administrative agency."

The subpoena gives Bell a deadline of Thursday to share the document.

Bell said Tuesday 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?"

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."