"I issued a press release yesterday asking the Premier to publicize the name of the consultant hired to undertake this secret examination of the Lower Churchill," said Mr. Grimes. "Since that time, I have received two separate phone calls that have indicated that Fortis has been retained to do this consulting work. I ask the Premier to confirm whether this is true or not.

"If Fortis has been retained in a secret deal, there are many questions that need to be answered. Why was this firm chosen without a public request for proposals? Why was a corporation that is headed by the spouse of a cabinet minister chosen for this work? Is there any conflict of interest issues that need to be addressed?

"The secrecy regarding this issue is very suspicious. To ensure that everything is being done appropriately without any conflict of interest, the Premier must be held accountable and he must release the name of the consultant retained to do this work. Premier Williams has not yet finalized his conflict of interest declaration with the Chief Electoral Officer that would ensure he is not an investor of the consulting firm that has been hand picked without a competition to do this work. It is also necessary to ensure that there is no possible conflict of interest situation involving a cabinet minister.

"The only way to ensure that the rules are being followed is for the Premier to release the name of the consultant, the terms of reference for the contract and the costs associated with this work. The secret nature of this proposal is very suspect. If there is nothing to hide, the Premier must come forward and release these details immediately."