NPCA hires Harper’s former chief of staff
Lawyer Guy Giorno recruited by agency to deal with a ‘complaint’
The chief of staff of former prime minister Stephen Harper has been hired by Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, The Standard has learned.
NPCA chair David Bylsma confirmed Tuesday afternoon that Guy Giorno — an anti-bribery lawyer from the Toronto law firm Fasken — was hired to “deal with one of our complaints.”
Bylsma would not say what complaint Giorno has been hired for, or in what capacity he will work for NPCA. Bylsma said it is not to represent the agency legally.In 2017, Giorno was hired by the City of Brampton to act as its integrity commissioner. He resigned his post after former Progressive Conservative party leader Patrick Brown was elected mayor in October 2018 because the two had a past working relationship.
“We could get criticized if we didn’t go big enough,” said Bylsma when asked why NPCA, an agency with a $9million annual budget, hired a high-profile lawyer.
“We have serious issues at the NPCA, and we are moving forward to deal with them.”
Bylsma said he did not know what Giorno’s fee will be.
The hiring of Giorno — who was Harper’s chief of staff from July 2008 to January 2011 and Harper’s campaign chair for the 2015 federal election — comes as the NPCA board is embroiled in fresh controversies.
Several board members have grumbled about the slow pace of change at NPCA and about its acting chief administrative officer David Barrick, who was appointed to his post by the previous board after having been fired in November by Mark Brickell, the former CAO who is suing the agency for $2.3 million for wrongful dismissal.
After Brickell was fired by the previous board, Barrick was reinstated by the acting CAO, who then went on leave. Barrick
was then made interim NPCA CAO under the authority of outgoing vice-chair James Kaspersetz of Hamilton who, along with former chair Sandy Annunziata, had been given the full power of the board in a closed-door vote on Dec. 3, 2018.
Two current board members — Grimsby Mayor Jeff Jordan and Niagara Falls regional Coun. Barbara Greenwood — told The Standard two weeks ago that Barrick should be replaced.
They said the board did not have any confidence in Barrick, whose 2013 hiring to a specially created manager’s job at NPCA was flagged by Ontario’s Auditor General last September as an example of unfair hiring practices at the agency.
Bylsma said the comments by Greenwood and Jordan “can warrant action” by the board, but said he did not know if the pair would be officially censured.
NPCA sources have told The Standard that Bylsma has dropped the possibility of a censure against Jordan but is proceeding with one against Greenwood.
Bylsma would not comment on the status of any potential censure when asked by The Standard Tuesday.
NPCA has also hired Toronto labour relations lawyer Daryn Jeffries to represent the agency. He has represented NPCA in past labour issues, including the ongoing dispute over the termination of former agency employee Jocelyn Baker.
Bylsma would not say why Jeffries was hired, but said he and NPCA vice-chair Diana Huson selected the lawyer.
Jeffries was at last week’s special board meeting and advised the board behind closed doors on issues related to the CAO. NPCA board members met Tuesday in Ball’s Falls to launch a search for a firm to run the hiring process for a new CAO.
Byslma has said a CAO to replace Barrick — whose speech at next week’s NPCA conservation achievement awards event has been cancelled — could be hired as early as March.
The NPCA board is scheduled to meet today at 8:30 a.m. at Ball’s Falls.