Grits go on offensive over deficit plan

Newfoundland and Labrador's Liberals are casting pre-emptive criticism of the PC government's plans, ahead of theTories' blueprint for the spring legislative session.

Lt.-Gov. John Crosbie is scheduled to read the speech from the throne on Monday afternoon at the house of assembly. The speech will identify the goals for Premier Danny Williams and his government, and provide clues of what to expect in the March 29 budget.

Williams, though, has already told the province to expect a deficit, despite relatively high prices for oil. Opposition House Leader Kelvin Parsons said the government can expect some tough questions about its fiscal plans.

"If you can't manage the thing when you got twice [as] much revenues as you ever had, any better than you have, any better than you're managing it, you know you have to question their financial management strengths," Parsons told CBC News.

The governing Tories said last year they were forecasting a deficit for the current fiscal year, which ends March 31. The government slashed the size of the projected deficit in the fall, and will provide an update next week.

Focus on health

Meanwhile, the Liberals say management of the health care system will also be raised often during question period, particularly in terms of how Williams and Health Minister Jerome Kennedy have managed both ongoing lab problems at Eastern Health and contract negotiations with physicians.

"They just need to clear the air, get down and act like normal, rational people without getting personal and beating people up," Parsons said.

NDP Leader Lorraine Michael agreed, saying she believes Williams and Kennedy - who have used strong language lately to describe physicians - have deliberately created bad blood with the medical profession.

"There are things that should have been dealt with at the table, not the kind of accusatory approach that the premier and the premier took," she said in an interview.

"I think they knew what they were doing. I think they did it deliberately and it's unfortunate."

Last week, the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association said many clinical chiefs across the province are considering stepping down from their positions because of how St. John's pathologists have been treated.

On Friday, the NLMA asked for binding arbitration. Government rejected the proposition.