The Opposition wants to know how the decision to pay a special advisor to the premier through MCP was made.
Health critic Lisa Dempster says the decision to pay Dr. Des Whalen $275,000 through MCP for a political appointment raises a lot of questions.
She’s written Minister Lela Evans seeking answers.
“Who authorized or approved charging this expenditure to the MCP budget?” Dempster wants to know. “I wonder was the Health Minister aware?”
The Opposition has obtained a copy of Dr. Whalen’s employment contract and says it confirms their concerns about MCP being used to compensate a political advisor and the “blatant circumvention of the political staff pay scale.”
The contract further specifies that Dr. Whalen receive an annual bonus of $13,000 – something others in the Premier’s Office do not receive and is also being paid out of the MCP budget.
Dempster wants to know if the minister supports the decision.
She also asked whether the use of MCP funds will affect the delivery of health care services.
