Heaney hiring row continues

The brouhaha over the NDP’s rehire of John Heaney continued Wednesday with yet more queries lobbed at the government in the legislature during question period.

This time, it was about the exemption Heaney received to continue his B.C. cannabis lobbyist work while he’s employed by the Alberta government as an adviser in the finance and energy ministries.

That exemption, obtained by Postmedia, is dated Feb. 7, 2018 — months after Heaney began his adviser role and weeks after he registered as a lobbyist in B.C.

It was signed by Premier Rachel Notley’s chief of staff Nathan Rotman.

Finance Minister Joe Ceci said Wednesday he’s not concerned “because I think he’s been very useful for this government.”

United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney disagrees. Asked by media Wednesday, he labelled it “a gross conflict of interest.”

The province has doled out grants to 16 visitor service providers across Alberta, said a Tuesday news release.

Cash from the Visitor Services Innovation Fund will be used for projects ranging from a roving information kiosk to a mobilefriendly website on Alberta’s tourism hot spots.

Grants ranged from $7,000 for individual organizations to $16,000 for partnerships, the release said.