Oram quits after brief stint as health minister Blames his personal health, treatment by the media for his decision BARB SWEET The Telegram

Health Minister Paul Oram (right) called a news conference Wednesday morning to announce his immediate resignation from cabinet and as the MHA for Terra Nova in the House of Assembly. He was replaced as Health Minister later in the day by Jerome Kennedy in a shuffle of the Williams cabinet. — Photo by Gary Hebbard/The Telegram

Paul Oram cited blood pressure woes when he quit as health minister and stepped out of provincial politics Wednesday, but he was also boiling mad at the media.

Oram was only on the job in the Department of Health for 90 days. He'd been business minister but shifted portfolios with Ross Wiseman who had been under fire in Health for more than a year.

Oram is the second cabinet minister to quit in roughly two weeks. His resignation was effective Wednesday.

Oram said he's going home to Glovertown to be with his family.

The Terra Nova MHA swept into office on Premier Danny Williams' blue wave six years ago and was appointed to cabinet in 2007.

He said the main reason for his departure is concern over his high blood pressure.

"My doctor advised me on the weekend if I don't get this under control I'll probably be using one of my own facilities," said Oram, who owns with his wife, Karen, both personal-care home facilities and funeral homes.

But he was just as quick to lambaste the media, accusing them of personal attacks and hounding his family.

He also went on "Open Line" Wednesday morning with a similar theme.

"People need to remember, the media needs to remember this - it's all right for you to tear the strip off a member or minister, because we go into this racket realizing it's going to happen," Oram told reporters at his hastily called scrum on his future outside the legislature.

"But my little girl is sitting home listening to the radio, watching the television. Responsible reporting is something that needs to be looked at. Quite frankly, I'm not going to expose my family to that anymore and I'm going to move on."

When asked for specifics, he said, "A lot of things. If you watch the news you'll know."

He gave one specific instance - the media scrutiny that took place when he was first appointed health minister and the controversy over whether he was in a conflict of interest because of his business holdings.

Paul Reynolds, the commissioner of members' interests, found no problems with Oram's business arrangements, although Reynolds' own appointment sparked controversy because of his longtime ties to the provincial Progressive Conservative party, including a term as party president.

"I've gone home night after night with my daughter laying on her bed crying because of something that was said on 'Open Line' or something that was said in the media. That's not appropriate, folks, it's just not appropriate," Oram told reporters Wednesday, with a number of staffers from all political parties looked on.

He even blasted the media for "plastering" his wife's and father's names in the news.

And he complained about criticisms of MHAs' and ministers' pay.

"People need to be careful, because more and more MHAs and ministers will say, 'You know what? I don't really need to do this anymore,'" Oram said.

"It's important for people to understand, to get quality people, it's going to take paying people properly. It's going to take giving them some slack in some areas, certainly their family. From my perspective, I don't need to stay around. I can afford to move on and that's always good."

"We tend to have a tendency to always talk about how MHAs and ministers are getting paid too much money. I can tell you folks no, the amount of money I make per hour, you're not in this for the money. You're in this because you feel you can do some good things for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador."

Oram, 43, said the most important thing now is his health. He said he's been on medication for years, and continued to have difficulties even though his medication was doubled recently.

"And I certainly won't allow myself to line up for a stroke," he said. "That's just not what I'm planning to do."

Oram insisted his decision - which he said he reached Monday - had nothing to do with any kind of rift with the premier or cabinet.

"I want to be clear: I have absolutely no issue with my cabinet or my premier," Oram said.

"I work with this man. (Williams) works hours on top of hours on top of hours. The people of Newfoundland and Labrador should be lucky he's not standing here today."

But Opposition House Leader Kelvin Parsons suggested Oram was probably pushed into resigning.

"I think there's more to this resignation than meets the eye," said Parsons, reacting to the news. Liberal Leader Yvonne Jones was travelling and unavailable.

"The premier, no doubt, has been disturbed by what's going on in the (Health) Department since he has been there."

Parsons describes Oram, based on his observations of him as an MHA and minister and in the House of Assembly, as the "most combative individual MHA I have encountered."

Parsons said Oram has used the media in the past for his own purposes, including to attack other politicians.

"Mr. Oram has a far tougher skin than he puts on. He's extremely combative in the House. He's been known to juggle eight or 10 balls in business at one time," said Parsons, who speculated there was a falling out at the cabinet table, particularly since Oram didn't get moved to a less stressful portfolio or out of cabinet, but is leaving politics altogether.

NDP Leader Lorraine Michael was shocked at Oram's tirade to the media.

"We are in public life. We are accountable to the public," Michael said, calling Oram's blast over-the-top, considering the media's job is to reflect opposition and public scrutiny of the government and to be investigative.

She said Williams should take responsibility for Oram's comments about the media and acknowledge them as being unfortunate and unacceptable.

Michael said she would take Oram's reasons for leaving at face value, the same as she did the personal reasons cited by Trevor Taylor when he stepped down last month.

But she said Williams should be wondering what's going on.

"Surely the premier has to be asking himself what's going on with his own caucus and why he can't hold on to ministers," Michael said.

Taylor announced Sept. 24 he was quitting cabinet as transportation minister and as the MHA for Staits-White Bay North.

He cited personal reasons for resigning, and insisted the decision was unrelated to the situation in Flower's Cove, the community in his district where the government cut lab and X-ray services.

Oram also came under fire for the decision to cancel X-ray and lab services in Flower's Cove and Lewisporte.

Last week, he reversed a previous decision to reduce services at the Flower's Cove clinic by 12 hours a day. That reversal was slammed by some as being a purely political move, given that a byelection has been called for the area.

Meanwhile, the Finance Department refused to discuss Oram's pension Wednesday. The rules suggest he will receive one, but not for several years, since years of service and age must add up to 60, and his currently add up to 49.

As for severance, he will receive $36,535 for his MHA duties alone. Details were not available for his ministerial severance late Wednesday. It will take about a month for him to get the severance.

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