N.S. premier defends appointing business friends as Crown executive chairs
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The appointments don’t sit well with opposition leaders.
“I am, frankly, rather shocked that the premier comes out here every day and says ‘Yes, I hired my friends,’” said NDP leader Claudia Chender.
“I would ask Nova Scotians to pause and consider the impact of that statement from the man who is running this province.”
Houston doesn’t deny the appointees are close friends, but says they are also the most qualified and defends his decision by stating they are only interim positions.
“As we transition through, it’s certainly our intention to have full time and permanent CEOs within a few months,” said Houston. “They are short term, interim positions.”
Chender said the hiring and appointing of friends in private business might be acceptable, but in government there’s an understanding of open competition and merit based appointments.
“At a private company it might fly,” said Chender. “But it does not fly in government. It’s generally accepted that we want a merit-based civil service where we hire the people who are most qualified for the specific job.”
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