A backroom Progressive Conservative with close ties to leader Blaine Higgs has been installed as the party's executive director just five months before the start of the provincial election.

Retired Moncton business executive Paul D'Astous, who helped organize Higgs's leadership campaign in 2016, is taking over from Stephen Smith.

Smith was fired Monday by party president Rick Lafrance, who is refusing to explain the reasons for the move.

"Not sure I can provide much information," Lafrance said in an email to CBC News. "This is a confidential matter."

Lafrance confirmed that D'Astous is replacing Smith as executive director.

Pivotal time

The shakeup comes at a pivotal moment for the PC party, which must prepare for a provincial campaign that will get underway officially in late August.

There are candidates to nominate, a platform to draft, and advertising to create.

The most recent filings by the party, covering the first six months of 2017, showed it had only $20,260 in cash in the bank, compared to $2 million for the Liberals.

The party had a $346,000 debt and had put its Fredericton office up for sale.

Progressive Conservatives most recent filing, covering the first six months of 2017, showed it had only $20,260 in the bank and was had a $346,000 debt. (CBC) The parties will be allowed to spend about $1.1 million during the official 32-day campaign period in August and September. They can spend up to $200,000 outside that period.

D'Astous has been co-chair of the PC New Brunswick Fund, the party's fundraising arm.

He was an early supporter of Bernard Lord's run for the party leadership in 1997 and was later appointed to the New Brunswick Insurance Board, a regulatory body created by Lord's PC government. In 2016, he backed Higgs in the party leadership race.

Short stint

No reason was given for Stephen Smith's firing. (CBC) Smith's tenure as PC executive director was brief.

After working as a political staffer during most of the Alward PC government's term in office, Smith was hired for a non-partisan civil service job in 2014. The new Liberal government fired him from that post in early 2015.

Smith argued in a labour arbitration hearing that he felt he was targeted for his political affiliation. In October 2015, the arbitrator awarded him a year's salary as severance, noting Smith was having trouble finding a new job.

The following year, the PC party hired him as executive director.

D'Astous did not respond to attempts to reach him Tuesday. Smith declined to comment.