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Anna Thistle, Opposition Post-Secondary Education Critic and MHA for the
District of Grand Falls-Buchans, says she is disappointed and shocked with
the approach of Justice Minister Tom Marshall and this government by
bringing accusations against the former President of the College of the
North Atlantic before any investigation is completed. "I read Justice
Minister Tom Marshall’s press release in absolute amazement," said Ms.
Thistle. "For government to dismiss a long-standing, respected individual
such as Pam Walsh without reason was a shock to many people in the province.
It is even more shocking that it now appears the reason for this dismissal
is an apparent accusation that wasn’t even investigated before her
dismissal. For a Justice Minister and a government to bring repercussions
against someone before an accusation is investigated is irresponsible,
unprofessional and goes against everything that our justice system is
supposed to uphold.
"If Ms. Walsh has been accused of wrongdoing, an investigation will
either verify or dismiss any charges. Permanently removing her from her
position should not have happened until these accusations were investigated
and confirmed as fact. If this is an attempt by government to discredit Ms.
Walsh and provide reasoning to remove her from her position, this is simply
unacceptable and should not be tolerated.
"The statement innocent until proven guilty was definitely not used in
this circumstance. It appears that government unilaterally decided guilt
without an investigation. Following-up on accusations after the fact is
simply not acceptable and should not be tolerated in our democratic system."
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