Stephenson hiring part of a pattern of unfair patronage
HALIFAX, NS – PC MLA Tim Houston is calling for an emergency meeting of the Standing Committee of Public Accounts to examine the hiring practices of the Executive Council Office and the Public Service Commission.
Houston, a committee member, sent a written request to Chair Allan MacMaster, stating that hiring practices for senior public servants may not meet the tests of fairness, consistency and transparency.
A FOIPOP into what may have taken place with a recent hire to the Executive Council was heavily redacted and leaves Nova Scotians with more questions than answers.
“Nova Scotians expect public servants to be hired based on merit in a fair and transparent manner,” says Houston. “What we’re seeing is a troubling pattern where fair hiring practices are routinely circumvented and even broken so that certain people can be hired, promoted or given pay increases.”
It is time for all members of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts to further examine this practice as it involves a substantial expenditure of public funds.
“I believe that the only way we will get to the bottom of this is by hearing from representatives of the Executive Council Office and the Public Service Commission,” says Houston. “The next scheduled meeting of the committee is more than a month away and Nova Scotians are entitled to know the facts on the province’s hiring practices. An emergency meeting will help get answers to these important questions now.”
Houston has asked the chair of the committee to request representatives appear before the committee at their earliest convenience.