Reg Coates: 'The level of intensity of involvement from officials at a higher level, particularly from the premier's office, is not something that I've experienced frequently.' (CBC)

Officials in Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams's office insisted that information be edited out of documents released on controversial cancer tests, an inquiry was told Friday.

Reg Coates, director of legislative and regulatory affairs in the Department of Health and Community Services, told the Cameron inquiry that he was caught off guard in the summer of 2007 by the sudden interest — from the highest levels of government — to an access to information request from the media.

A reporter with the St. John's Telegram had filed a request for the briefing notes supplied to three different health ministers about flawed hormone receptor tests, which are the focus of investigation at the inquiry.

Telegram reporter Rob Antle asked for notes prepared since 2005, when Eastern Health disclosed it was retesting hormone receptor tests.

Coates testified that the premier's office asked for three copies of the information that would be supplied to Antle — one for communications director Elizabeth Matthews, with copies for Brian Crawley, the chief of staff in the premier's office, and Brian Taylor, the office's director of operations.

"The level of intensity of involvement from officials at a higher level, particularly from the premier's office, is not something that I've experienced frequently," said Coates.

As well, Coates told Justice Margaret Cameron that officials in the premier's office and in the cabinet secretariat demanded that some of the information in those briefings be cut out, including a list of questions that politicians could expect to be asked.

"I believed that much of this was already in the public domain," Coates said.

"Severing Q&As of information that was already openly discussed in the public forum did not make sense to me and signalled a lack of openness of transparency to the general public."

Coates did not identify who specifically ordered information to be edited from material provided to the Telegram.

Coates said he eventually gave in and edited the documents. He said he complained to cabinet advisers about the order, but said he would respect it.

The revelation comes just days after Williams lashed out once more about the cost and style of the Cameron inquiry, which has been hearing evidence since March about what went wrong with hundreds of hormone receptor tests and about what government officials did in response.

Last week, Williams said Cameron herself showed "disdain" while Crawley testified last week. This week, Williams said inquiry lawyers had been attempting to embarrass government witnesses.