Minister Mella says a number of statements made by Dr. Dickieson are factually untrue and she wishes to set the record straight.

The province's hiring policy is comprised of two separate and independent human resource recruitment practices for full time versus casual positions.

The Public Service Commission is mandated to staff and classify full-time and part-time public servants, based on merit. This system has been in place in the province for many years and continues to be used to hire people for permanent public service positions based on merit.

The casual hiring practice proclaimed last March is intended to address the hiring of casual workers (10 to 14 weeks) for government work. The Minister notes that over 90 per cent of seasonal employees are automatically recalled to the same positions, after satisfactory performance. Only when there are vacancies in these positions, is the Casual Hiring Centre used to fill vacancies.

Applications for casual employment are received at the Casual Hiring Centre. Staff of the Public Service Commission review the applications based on a person's qualifications. If many applicants are qualified, the staff then further evaluates the applicants based on need. Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are not excluded from providing input on the needs of their constituents. However, MLAs are do not have any final say on who is selected for the position. Contrary to Dr. Dickieson's suggestion, the selection decision is ultimately made by the Casual Hiring Centre and the names are forwarded to human resource managers in departments.

The memo Dr. Dickieson received from the Public Service Commission requested his cooperation should the Casual Hiring Centre require further information about a constituent that applied for casual work and resides in his/her district. It was not asked, nor is it the intention, to have MLAs choose names for casual positions.

Dr. Dickieson also erroneously stated in his news release that, "MLAs would then be contacted by that department and asked who might be more deserving of the job."

This statement by Dr. Dickieson is totally incorrect. The Casual Hiring Centre, not departments of government, forward the names of successful applicants to the appropriate department.

Minister Mella says, "Dr. Dickieson is distorting the facts surrounding the casual hiring policy." She says it is one thing to be critical of a government initiative, it is quite another to disseminate false information to the public."

Minister Mella stresses that government remains committed to reforms that bring equity to the casual hiring practice and denies Dr. Dickieson's allegation that the reforms allow MLAs to determine which constituent would be hired.