Executive Council
February 13, 2008

Premier Comments on Appointment to PUB

The Honourable Danny Williams, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, today confirmed that Mayor Andy Wells will step down from his position as mayor of St. John�s before starting in his new position as the Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities (PUB).

"I would like to once again thank Mayor Wells for accepting this new role at the PUB, and to express my steadfast confidence in his abilities and experience," said Premier Williams. "He is eminently qualified and I am extremely confident he will be a valuable asset in that organization. As well, I stand by my belief that the mayor is quite capable of doing both the job as mayor and running the PUB. We have reconfirmed repeatedly that no conflict of interest exists, with the exception of land expropriation where we have already stated Mayor Wells would excuse himself.

"Having said that, this issue is taking away from the fact that Mayor Wells is an outstanding appointment as head of the PUB. Because this has become such a distraction for all involved, I have informed Mayor Wells that we will hold off on his official start date at the PUB until such time as he steps down as mayor. I expect this will happen sooner rather than later, but ultimately the mayor will decide the exact date to end his current tenure with the city."

The Premier said people should not forget that the mayor has dedicated much of his life to public service. "While Mayor Wells is known to be outspoken and controversial, he is also dedicated and committed to public service and I look forward to his continued contributions."

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Media contact:
Elizabeth Matthews
Director of Communications
Office of the Premier
709-729-3960, 709-693-7291
elizabethmatthews@gov.nl.ca

2008 02 13                                                   12:25 p.m.

 


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