Some Liberals, including Premier Dwight Ball, were given free seats to Kaetlyn Osmond's performance in Marystown last year after offering a grant to the local skating club organizing the event, emails obtained by the CBC show.

Osmond's appearance, at the arena named after her on April 15, 2018, was the hottest ticket in town. The figure skater was fresh off her world championship and Olympic wins, and had returned to Marystown for a thank you performance at the season-ending show of the Ice Crystal Skate Club.

Ticket demand far outstripped supply, and members of the government were among those seeking some of the 1,000-odd seats.

"The Provincial Gov is looking for 30 tickets to the Ice Show," wrote Tara Planke, an assistant to local MHA Mark Browne, in an email to the club.

"There will be some monetary donations being given to the ICSC from the Gov."

The Liberals ended up with the best seats in the house, and the club received a $1,500 grant.

Mark Browne, far left, Dwight Ball and other Liberals sat at centre ice during Osmond's Marystown performance. (CBC)

$600 cost

All 10 board members for the Ice Crystals were shown the email offer before accepting the deal, which eventually included 34 tickets total.

That deal meant forsaking the $20 value of each ticket, a total of $680 in revenue. Balancing that against the grant, the club would be left with $820. The deal also pulled 34 tickets out of circulation for local fans, friends and family.

In a second email, Browne's office assured the club it would not be losing money by giving away the freebies.

"With the extra funds that we can secure for the Club, the granting of these tickets will be more than be covered from a monetary perspective," wrote Planke.

Osmond skated twice before the sellout crowd at the Kaetyln Osmond Arena in Marystown. (CBC)

That email asked for three of the 34 tickets to be allotted to Ball, three for Browne, two for Burin-Grand Bank MHA Carol Anne Haley and single ones for other MHAs and staff. It also outlined to the skate club why having top Liberals attend was an "excellent opportunity" for Marystown.

"This is a terrific chance to showcase our area, have issues of importance brought to their attention," a line read.

'No free tickets': Browne

In an emailed response to CBC on Monday, Browne stated "no free tickets were used," saying the premier gave him "clear direction last spring to purchase tickets for the event."

Browne provided a letter from the Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development to the mayor of Marystown, outlining the $1,500 in funding allotted to the skating club, as part of a $6,500 subsidy toward the cost of bringing Osmond to Marystown.

I have done nothing wrong. - Mark Browne

That letter came more than two weeks after the emails from Browne's assistant and the skate club, offering a grant in exchange for tickets.

In Monday's response, Brown told CBC, "There is an ulterior motive to holding this item until the middle of an election campaign."

He added, "I have done nothing wrong."

Two of the Liberals at the ice show told CBC News on condition of anonymity that they offered to pay for their tickets, and were told they were already taken care of.

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