Higgs defends hiring of Conservative consultants at taxpayer expense

Premier Blaine Higgs has defended his government's hiring of two well-known Conservative campaign consultants at taxpayer expense as he prepares for an election campaign this fall.

Higgs told opposition MLAs on a legislative committee that the two consultants, Derek Robinson and Steve Outhouse, would not be doing any partisan work at taxpayer expense.

Robinson is the founder of Mash Strategy, a Calgary-based consulting firm that has done work for various conservative parties and leaders. 

Outhouse is the campaign manager for Higgs's Progressive Conservative re-election bid this year, but is also working in the premier's office as principal secretary, a taxpayer-funded position.

"There are no taxpayer dollars used for the political role in any of this," Higgs said, arguing that Outhouse would be doing campaign work on his own time.

"The separation between the night duties and the day duties would be very clear," he told the committee during its study of the budget estimates for his office and the executive council office that he heads.

Higgs offered a similar guarantee that Mash Strategy's work for the government would not cross over into the election campaign.

Green Leader David Coon questioned the hiring of Mash, which says on its website that its mantra is "think politically, act creatively" and claims it has gained experience "in political war rooms."

"It's not just 'thinking politically,' it's thinking politically in a certain ideological direction that's clear, that's being brought to bear on their work," Coon said.

The $72,000 paid to Mash is "a very small portion" of what the government spends on more than 80 firms providing communications services, Higgs said.

'A look from outside,' premier says

Liberal MLA René Legacy said the hiring of the Calgary-based consulting firm contradicted the government's frequent rhetoric about a "New Brunswick-first" approach to contracting.

Higgs responded that he wanted to incorporate "a look from outside" into efforts to promote New Brunswick's successes across Canada. 

"I want to be sure our perspective is not limited to one region, one province," he said.

The premier said the government must communicate on issues that "seem to be rather straightforward issues to some and very controversial issues to others."

He didn't dispute that Robinson and Mash have a conservative viewpoint "more in line with our party" but said that ensures "a diversity of opinion" among consultants advising the government.

"We deal with companies that have views in all directions," he said.

But he acknowledged that the advice would shape "a message coming from the premier's office and everybody knows I'm a Conservative." 

Higgs announced last fall that Outhouse, who ran Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's re-election campaign last year, would be the campaign manager for the New Brunswick PC party this year.

Earlier this spring he confirmed Outhouse would join his staff in the premier's office on a $125,000 contract that runs until the election.

Calculated relative to an annual salary, Coon said that compensation exceeds the normal range of $150,000 to $175,000 for a principal secretary.

Higgs justified the money by reading extensively from Outhouse's resumé, listing several positions he held with the federal government, including as a staffer to cabinet ministers in the Harper government.

"All of that is to say that Mr. Outhouse comes with an extensive degree of credentials and relevant experience to what we experience as a government." 

The questioning about Outhouse was short-lived because of how the opposition Liberals used the time allocated to them during the estimates process.

Opposition parties get a total of 80 hours to examine estimates from all government departments and offices, and they decide for themselves how to divide up that time.

Higgs's office told them the premier would be available all day Wednesday, giving them about eight hours with him.

But the Liberals and Greens chose to use most of Wednesday's time on other departments and on Higgs's other responsibilities, leaving the Liberals with no remaining time to devote to the premier's office and Coon with only 20 minutes. 

"The Premier made himself available for eight hours of questioning [Wednesday]," Higgs's director of communications Nicolle Carlin said via text message.

"This was well-known by the Opposition that this was the period of time the Premier was available, and would give them time to ask all their questions."