The Wildrose party is condemning another government appointment, saying the selection of NDP party president Chris O'Halloran as the new outreach manager at McDougall Centre in Calgary smacks of patronage.

The move comes weeks after the Alberta government announced that failed Calgary-Foothills NDP candidate Bob Hawkesworth would become executive director of McDougall Centre, which serves as Premier Rachel Notley's southern Alberta office.

"O'Halloran is now the third NDP partisan to be named a manager of outreach services at the Calgary premier's office," Wildrose said in a news release Tuesday.

The third patronage appointee Wildrose refers to is former B.C. NDP activist Marcella Munro, who is currently the stakeholder outreach and communications manager at McDougall.

The government defended the choice of O'Halloran, saying he is more than qualified for the post.

"It makes sense he was given the job," Notley spokeswoman Cheryl Oates said.

"Chris is a born-and-bred Albertan who has proven himself as a leader in the labour movement, and he has a long history of working with civil society and organizations in Alberta, so his knowledge and skills are a great asset."

The NDP said the job is a political staff position, not a civil service post.

Wildrose MLA Jason Nixon said the roles are unclear and the positions appears to be simple patronage.

"Albertans now have three managers at the same office, managing the exact same portfolios. It's clear the premier's office in Calgary is becoming nothing more than a soft-landing pad for NDP party loyalists," said Wildrose MLA Jason Nixon.

"These managers managing managers are even more offensive, given the fact Albertans are losing their jobs by the thousands as the NDP continue with their risky economic experiments."

The press release said Leader Brian Jean pushed hard during the budget estimates debate, wanting to know who else would be hired at McDougall Centre. Notley revealed only one administrative position was open, it said.

Nixon added NDP patronage appointments are the only serious job-generating program established by the Notley government.

"Albertans were hoping for a new way of doing things, instead the NDP are repeating the same bad habits that Albertans clearly voted against in the last election."