The New Democrat government has backed away from two decisions after withering criticism from the opposition Wildrose. But it's sticking with a controversial patronage appointment to the government's communications department.

On Thursday, the NDP gave the province's legislative officers a 7.25 per cent raise, voted to send three NDP MLAs and the committee clerk on a junket to Boston in December, and named a well-known NDP supporter to head the supposedly apolitical public affairs bureau.

But late Thursday afternoon, Denise Woollard, chair of the standing committee on legislative offices, issued a statement saying the 7.25 per cent raise for legislative officers, such as the ethics commissioner and auditor general, will be "reconsidered in the coming week."

The political about-face was "in consideration of the challenges facing Alberta families and our economy and concerns validly raised by the opposition (Wildrose.)"

Woollard said it was important to attend a conference on government ethics in Boston, but "we think that one or two people will attend, not more."

Minutes after Woollard issued her statement mentioning the importance of government ethics, Premier Rachel Notley's press secretary issued a statement to CBC News defending the appointment of former NDP communications director Mark Wells to the supposedly apolitical position of managing director of the public affairs bureau, the government's main communications arm. The statement however, ignored the patronage issue.

"The managing director of the (public affairs bureau) is a position that requires an expert understanding of communications work and also an understanding of the legislative structure in Alberta," said press secretary Cheryl Oates in an email statement.

"Mark Wells is an Albertan with 12 years' experience as a communications professional. He was chosen for this role because he is incredibly capable and qualified."

Wells was communications director of the Alberta NDP from 2007 to 2008. His LinkedIn page includes a recommendation from Lou Arab, husband of Premier Rachel Notley. During the last election Wells, a lawyer, took a leave from the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees to campaign for the NDP.

Alberta Party Leader Greg Clark said the government has a legitimate need to communicate with Albertans. But he said communications must be apolitical.

"I had high hopes for the NDP," Clark said, referring to that party's promise to end patronage appointments.

"This is disappointing," he said. "They are sending the wrong message."

No rationale for raise

Wildrose MLA Jason Nixon says the NDP's decision to give legislative officers a raise sends "a terrible message." Meanwhile, critics were shaking their heads at the optics of the raise during a time when thousands of Albertans had lost their jobs due to the economic downturn in the oil-and-gas industry.

"I think it sends a terrible message," said Wildrose MLA Jason Nixon, a legislative offices committee member. "It sends a message that the government or the civil service is not going to share the same burden as the rest of Alberta.

Nixon said the committee's NDP members gave no rationale for the raise, and would not consider a Wildrose proposal to limit the increase to cost of living, which he said would have been reasonable and acceptable to most people.

The same NDP-dominated committee also voted, in private, to send three of its NDP members, and the committee clerk, to Boston in December for a conference on ethics.

The Wildrose tabled a motion to scrap the trip.

"Given the economic situation that Albertans are facing, we felt that it was appropriate to not send members of the committee on international trips for conferences during this time," Nixon said.

The NDP members voted down that motion, and a second motion from the Wildrose to limit the delegation to the committee chair and the clerk.

"It seems to me, first of all, hypocritical that just six, seven short months ago, the NDP was arguing against these types of trips," Nixon said.

Paige McPherson of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation said the NDP members should have considered if it is reasonable, under the province's current financial state, to send four people on the trip.

"This just speaks to how out of touch this government seems to be when it comes to the tough economic times that taxpayers are facing."





