McNeil: no regrets about Masters jaunt
Posted Apr 13, 2010 05:52:12 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Liberal leader Stephen McNeil says his trip last week to Georgia for the Masters was a personal vacation planned months ago.
A few eye-brows were raised with the news last week McNeil was skipping out on the debate at the legislature for a couple of days to attend the golf classic.
But McNeil says he planned the trip with his 18-year-old son last October. His son’s a big golfing fan and he says he felt this was a perfect opportunity to share a golfing experience with the lad.
“It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to take my son to this event and we did it,” he said. “It was a wonderful opportunity and a wonderful event, and he had a great time.”
As for ducking out during debate on budget matters, McNeil says the party was in good hands while he was away.
“I was here for the introduction of the budget. I actually spoke on the budget, I spoke on every other bill,” he said. “As you know I have a very capable health critic and finance critic who also carried the ball for two days.”
McNeil says he was cheering for eventual Masters winner Phil Mickelson because of his family situation with cancer. Both his wife and mother have been stricken with the disease.
