 In May 2008 the provincial government questioned the length of time the inquiry was taking, with justice minister Jerome Kennedy suggesting that continuing with the tone, style, and procedure of the inquiry could cause the health system to collapse.Chair Margaret Cameron declined the government's application to prevent inquiry lawyers from cross-examining witnesses, which had been presented as an attempt to expedite the inquiry.Opposition leader Yvonne Jones accused premier Williams of trying to "undermine" the inquiry by questioning testimony and witness examination procedures, including one occasion on which Williams described the inquiry in May 2008 as a "witch hunt."