Premier Andrew Furey is defending the appointment of senior bureaucrat, Charles Bown, as CEO of the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board.
The Premier told VOCM Open Line with Paddy Daly he will not make executive appointments based on political decisions.
Bown played a significant role as Deputy Minister of Natural Resources in the period leading up to sanction of the Muskrat Falls project.
The Telegram is reporting that Bown, a senior deputy minister with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation, is receiving over $177,000 annually in his new role—a significantly higher salary than his predecessor.
Furey says he sought the advice of the Clerk who he says has the “best line of sight” when it comes to government restructuring.
Furey contends that he had nothing to do with Bown’s contract, but is bound by it. He does not see Bown’s appointment as a promotion.
Opposition Leader Ches Crosbie meanwhile is not pleased—calling the appointment “inappropriate patronage.”
Crosbie questions why Bown would be “rewarded” and wants to know why some top executives at Nalcor who were making decisions on Muskrat Falls are still in the same role.
Crosbie told reporters yesterday “deceit cannot be practiced without consequences.”