theQuestion: Are government appointments special, or should appointees go through the usual hiring process?*
I am pragmatic when it comes to patronage, which is quite simply the control of appointments to government jobs. Government appointments are special by nature. They usually require unusual political skills, experience and connections. These positions are not subject to the posting of job descriptions, to union seniority policies or legislative oversight — nor should they be.
Unlike the U.S. — where government appointments are subject to a Senate approval process that is routinely used as a political football in battles unrelated to the position — here the ruling party gets to hire who they want. Often these appointments go to political allies. I have no issue with that as long as the job is needed and the person hired is qualified.
I believe this is the case in the recent provincial appointments of Ben Stewart as the new Asia trade commissioner and Gordon Wilson as the new LNG buy B.C. advocate. Laila argues that Stewart and Gordon are not qualified for their new jobs. I disagree.
It’s hard to argue Wilson isn’t qualified. His job is to help connect local businesses with companies sourcing goods and services for the LNG industry. His tenure as an NDP minister in such areas as finance should bring special perspective and capability to the execution of his duties. I also believe Wilson’s prior skepticism of the premier’s LNG plan, and his concern over the impact on the environment, are assets. A healthy dose of skepticism can reveal new opportunities and by tapping Wilson for this job it certainly shows the premier is confident in her plan.
Stewart, who gave up his seat so the premier could run in it, is also well equipped for his new role. He is a highly successful businessman and former cabinet minister. He also has experience in international trade, despite Laila’s assessment to the contrary. According to the government news release, Stewart played an instrumental role in creating the World Wine Trade group and negotiated several multi-national trade agreements. He also possesses a highly desired asset, direct access to the premier. Doing business in Asia is entirely dependent upon access and having a direct line to the premier will be essential to forging new trade relationships there. Asian partners will know the premier owes her seat in power to the man they are dealing with. Now that is a unique skill set, which is hard to find by posting to a job board.