Tensions flare, minister gets an earful at budget meeting in St. John's

Newfoundland and Labrador Finance Minister Cathy Bennett was shouted down andthen yelled at in a tense confrontation near the end of a public forum in St. John's on Thursday.

Backlash from the provincial government's 2016 budget set the stage for a heated exchange where Bennett was called "ridiculous" and accused of having "tunnel vision."

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Bennett struggled to be heard at times during her speech at the event, one of the first consultations for the 2017 provincial budget.

Charlene Blake shouted that the finance minister didn't have "respect for anybody" and didn't quiet down when the minister visited her table near the end of the night.

Tense discussion between Cathy Bennett and upset residents

8 years ago

Duration 1:53

Displeasure from Newfoundland and Labrador's 2016 budget could still be heard at a consultation for the government's 2017 budget.

"No, you're not sorry, because you're still taxing people to death," Blake said, after Bennett had tried to defusethe encounter.

"Excuse me, excuse me. You don't get the right to tell me how I feel. I feel sorry for you," Bennett replied.

"Oh, so as a government official you get to tell everyone else though how we live," Blake said, louder again. "You're going totax us and tax us and tax us but we can't sit here and tell you to listen to us."

Blake continued to berate the minister after she left the table.

"Excuse me, you are our employee.You are not our employer. You are an employee of the people."

Launch of consultations

Consultations for the province's upcoming spring budget were also held in Grand Falls-Windsor, Clarenville and St. Anthony on Thursday night.

There's no release date yet for the financial plan but Bennett did share some advance details.

She promised the crowd that no new taxes would be introduced, and told reporters that the government was seekingabout $250 million in reductions, adding thattarget could largely be reachedthrough cutting government costs on things like travel, cell phones and administrative materials.

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"Government is a massive, $8.5-billion organization, and as we look at how we spend our money webelieve we can find savings that don't impact on the services of people," she said.

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The group discussions at the pre-budget consultation focused on cost cutting. How, for example, could we make "government and its agencies more efficient?"

Billy Jackman drove 45 minutes from the Southern Shore to tell Bennett that the size of government should be radically reduced, and things like the province's tourism arm and education department should be shut down.

"Our government needs to come back to its primary priority, which is the management of our shared services," he said. "First and foremost, the fundamental rule is you have to live within your means."

The provinceis also looking to reduce the number of public agencies, boards and commissions by 20 per cent.

We're listening: Bennett

After the heckling, but before the heated confrontation, Blake told reporters she didn't feel that government was paying attention.

"I feel like they are making decisions for themselves, I feel like no one's being heard," she said. "And I'm not going to be quiet. I'm not."

Bennett, though, said the government took public feedback sessions very seriously.

"One of the reasons that I ran in politics was because I wanted to make sure that I could represent the people that elected me."

And for those who don't feel heard, she had a piece of advice.

"Keep talking to us."