Double-dipping raised in House of Assembly

Opposition questions civil servant receiving pension, salary at same time

The current clerk of the executive council of the provincial government had held the job previously and is receiving a pension from his former years in the civil service at the same time that he is receiving a $186,000-peryear salary, the Official Opposition said in the House of Assembly Tuesday.

Progressive Conservative Interim Leader David Brazil asked that the clerk’s contract be tabled for everyone to see.

The questions come after the Opposition last week questioned costly extra perks in the contract of Memorial University president Vianne Timmons.

“Last week we learned from the minister of Education that he had no idea about the president’s contract at MUN. Today I would like to ask (Premier Andrew Furey), is he aware that the clerk of the executive council, who he has personally recruited and appointed, is collecting a six-figure pension and $186,000 salary from the same government job he retired from?”

“The current clerk is a tremendous, life-long civil servant,” Furey said. “He’s getting paid less than he was when he was clerk for the member opposite. So I think we are getting a good value for our dollar.”

Brazil said he wasn’t questioning the clerk’s ability.

“He is getting paid less, from $202,000 per year to $186,000 per year,” Brazil said. “Is he eligible for a second pension from the same job he retired from?

Furey agreed to table the contract and added that the overall issue is one that should be addressed.

“There’s currently no legislation surrounding doubledipping, but I’m happy to have a fulsome debate on double-dipping in the future, as it is an important question for this House,” Furey said.

In August 2020, Furey appointed Gary Norris as clerk of the executive council and secretary to cabinet.

Norris previously worked with the provincial government for 34 years in senior roles, including clerk of the executive council and secretary to cabinet for both PC and Liberal governments.

Concerns about such things as double-dipping, patronage jobs, bonuses and friends of government being awarded contracts for government work has long been raised and debated in Newfoundland and Labrador over the decades, and caused anger amongst taxpayers.

The provincial government has already started the legislative process to amend the Energy Corporation Act and the Hydro Corporation Act to eliminate bonuses for executives and other nonbargaining-unit employees of Nalcor Energy and Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, and its subsidiaries.