The provincial government is reinstating a Premier’s Office in the central region, and that’s causing the Opposition to cry foul.

Opposition MHAs Pleaman Forsey and Chris Tibbs are accusing the provincial government of patronage after hiring former Liberal candidate Rodney Mercer and Cindy Hooper, the Executive Assistant to former MP Scott Simms, to staff the office.

Forsey calls the development “disheartening” in light of the calls he’s received from seniors looking for things like affordable housing and grants to fix up their homes.

The Premier’s Office says Mercer – who worked as former Premier Dwight Ball’s Executive Assistant – and Hooper have been hired as executive assistants to help support the office – similar to the one that exists in Corner Brook.