Racehorse Haynes and Chester Gillan

When asked for his defense in a dog biting lawsuit, famous Texas lawyer Racehorse Haynes replied “Well, now this is my defence: My dog doesn’t bite. And second, in the alternative, my dog was tied up that night. And third, I don’t believe you really got bit. And fourth, I don’t have a dog.”

So says Minister Chester Gillan in the Charlottetown Guardian, Jan 5, 2007. We didn’t make any DSP cuts, our people were out delivering needed services when the cuts occurred, who is Stephen Pate anyway, and I’m leaving this department before the next election.

OK so the leaving part is just a rumour in the Guardian.

Without going into excruciating detail on the deny, deny, deny defence let me just take umbrage at the “who is Stephen” paragraph.

I was speaking at a Rotary meeting, presenting on Polio Plus the Rotary campaign to eradicate polio. Chester, then Minister of Education, offered an invitation to speak in the schools. “My door and the door of the schools are always open to you Stephen.”

I served on the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Disability Issues. That is Chester Gillan’s signature on the letters inviting me and thanking me.

I met with the DSP folks several times last year, with MLA’s and even went to a policy meeting that turned out to be the Progressive Conservative Party of PEI annual meeting.

Chester, show us the money.