Opposition leader Olive Crane had her plan to subpoena a former deputy minister shot down at public accounts committee. (CBC)

P.E.I. Opposition Leader Olive Crane was shot down Thursday in her quest to subpoena a former deputy minister to appear before the Public Accounts Committee.

Crane's motion to hear from Melissa MacEachern was voted down by all Liberal MLAs.

For months now, Olive Crane and the Conservatives say they've been stonewalled in their attempts to have MacEachern appear before the committee.

Earlier this year, the auditor general found a lack of control and oversight in thirty-one tourism contracts he reviewed. MacEachern was the deputy minister during the time of those contracts and auditor general Colin Younker found that, in some cases, contracts didn't follow treasury board approvals. At least twelve had no written contracts and some were given only verbal extensions.

The auditor also identified contracts that didn't go out for competitive bids and he said some payments were not made to the appropriate parties.

"Is this fair, if your looking at the private sector if someone managed $8 million dollars in this way, would they still be working for their employer?" said Crane.

The committee will hear from the current deputy minister, David MacKenzie, and tourism Minister Rob Henderson. Henderson has refused to ask MacEachern to appear with him.

"As minister, I am responsible for the ministry of tourism and culture," said Henderson. "And I have been responsible for any action that have occurred in that department in the past and currently, and I will answer to any of those particular issues, and my deputy can do the same thing."

Liberal Buck Watts had said earlier he was prepared to subpoena MacEachern, but he toed the party line on Thursday.

"It's quite reasonable to believe that they're quite capable of answering the questions that we'll be asking them," said Watts. "And if they're not, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."