A man who has done previous work for the Liberal government has been contracted to assist with an economic development plan to help local businesses transition back to some sense of normalcy.
Paul Mills, the former Vice President of ACOA, is the President of Paul Mills and Associates.
He was on the 2017 Sunshine List for earning $192,900 in a contractual position with Executive Council for 2016, and was part of the transition team when the Liberal Party won the 2015 general election.
According to government, Mills has been employed on a $150,000 contract, per annum, with Executive Council for a five-month term from April 21st to September 30th. The province says contractual work is exempt from the Public Service Commission Act, and competition is not required.
“The hire was undertaken based on the urgent need for a special advisor to mitigate and support businesses through the impacts of COVID-19. It is expected this assignment will conclude in early summer” according to the Premier’s Office.
Premier Dwight Ball says Mills is working with the province’s cabinet committee on jobs to formulate a timely plan to stimulate the economy while keeping public health measures front of mind.
He says it’s important to have someone who could act as a facilitator and gatekeeper of the ideas generated.
The Premier is less enthusiastic about putting together an economic task force as has been suggested by Trades NL, among others.
He says government wanted to move quickly, and suggested that sometimes assembling larger groups makes things more complicated and bogs down the process.
Opposition says Hire Raises Questions of Patronage
Opposition Leader Ches Crosbie is raising questions about the political overtones in the recent hiring of Paul Mills to lead a provincial economic recovery plan.
Mills was hired under a 5-month contract as a Special Advisor – Economic Recovery, to help with efforts to get businesses back up and running once public health restrictions are raised.
Crosbie claimed that Mills contributed to The Way Forward—the Liberal Party Red Book. However, the Premier’s Office says Mills had no role whatsoever in helping create, draft or consult on the Red Book in 2015 and 2019. They say the agency of record for the 2019 Liberal election campaign, Prime Creative, had an employee who is also named Paul Mills but that they are two different individuals.
While the Opposition leader isn’t questioning Mills’ qualifications, he says the hire does raise serious questions around political patronage.
Crosbie wants to know if the hire is really about economic recovery, or whether it’s a political exercise.
He says the task is described as “conduct an analysis of all sector strategies as outlined in The Way Forward.” That, says Crosbie, begs the question whether it’s an economic plan for the province or an electoral plan for the party.
