Premier defends use of EMO staff during 2017 ice storm news conferences
Brian Gallant is standing by his decision to hold daily news conferences during the 2017 ice storm after receiving criticism over the time demand they put on New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization staff.
"If I didn't show up in the Acadian Peninsula, if I wasn't in Kent County and I wasn't on the Miramichi, you would all be asking me 'where were you during the ice storm?'" Gallant said after a meeting in St. Stephen on Wednesday.
Gallant was criticized by other party leaders following the release of a report that noted the ripple effect caused by his use of EMO staff during the press conferences, including the EMO's communications director.
The report said the spokesperson assigned to the organization was tasked with writing Gallant's speeches, while his work was getting passed down to other staff.
It also criticized the presence of front-line workers during the conferences, who could have been elsewhere helping with the crisis.
Need to be informed
Gallant said the primary use of EMO resources during the press conferences was to gather information to provide the public with accurate information about the storm.
"I think that everyone would recognize that if a premier, cabinet minister, and even a politician would go to a scenario like that, they obviously have to know what's going on," he said.
"I have to be briefed, I have to be able to communicate to the hundreds and hundreds of people that I spoke to that had questions for me about how things were going, what they could do, what we could do to make things better."
He said he recognized "a lot of good recommendations" in the report, including one relevant to news conferences.
"I think it's a real problem there's not a dedicated resource to ensure that the premier of the day, the cabinet ministers, politicians, are going to be briefed and they're going to have the right messaging to give to the media and to the people of the province," he said.
Presence of EMO staff 'unnecessary'
PC leader Blaine Higgs said earlier Wednesday that the presence of EMO staff at the conferences was unnecessary.
"An event like this, which should be all hands on deck to get the job done, is seen as a political photo [opportunity] by many … it's unfortunate," Higgs said.
The report suggested that senior administrative staff should be tasked with assisting in news conferences instead.
It also suggested the development of an "information matrix" to be shared among the premier's office, avoiding unnecessary interviews or questions with front-line staff.
"The matrix should identify the type and depth of the information required, identify the person/organization tasked to provide it, and the delivery time," the report said.
