15 assistant deputy minister positions cut in civil service restructuring

The provincial government has announced further layoffsas part of Newfoundland and Labrador's ongoing restructuring of its civil service.

The Department of Finance announced on Thursday that 15 assistant deputy ministerpositions would be cut. The changes are anticipated to save about $2 million ayear, according to a press release, but government will pay the departing employees $1.25 million in severance.

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Minister Cathy Bennett said in an email that government would not be releasing a list of positions that were affected until Friday, "out of respect for the employees and their families."

The cuts follow a re-organization of departments in August, whichsaw the number of deputy minister positions cut.

In today's statement, the provincesaid the ongoing reorganization would result"in a leaner government structure with more efficient planning, better management framework and sound governance."

According to the Department of Finance, the 15 job cuts represent a 20 per cent reduction of the number of senior executives at the assistant deputy minister level.

Liberals 'politicizing,' say PCs

PC leader Paul Davis took a shot at the Liberals on Thursday afternoon, alleging the government was hiding their true intentions and dressing up political patronage as restructuring and reorganization.

"It is made to look like a reduction at the management level when, in fact, it's nothing but political patronage dressed up to look like something it's not," Davissaid in a press release.

The PCs highlightedseveral recent civil service hires including Chris Pickard, a new Director of Communications in government citing"close political ties" as evidence that the ball government was forcing their political agenda on the civil service.

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"They are politicizing the province's public service in ways that have not been seen in generations," Davis wrote.

Government officials have defended Pickard'shire, saying he was done so under proper practices, as well as the previous hiring of three former Liberal candidates to top jobs in the civil service.

Lynn Sullivan, George Joyce and Paula Walsh were all hired as deputy ministers or assistant deputy ministers, though Premier Dwight Ball said the moves were purely about "putting people in that have the experience and the knowledge to do what needs to be done."

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