B.C.’s economy may be stalled, but there’s one definite growth sector of employment: Special advisors to Premier David Eby and his government.

The Eby administration has tapped yet another friend and insider to its growing list, hiring former NDP cabinet minister George Heyman as the special advisor on public sector bargaining.

The news came out on Thursday, after the Opposition noticed Heyman had updated his LinkedIn profile with the position. It turns out, he started the job in April. Government never made the appointment, salary or terms public until it was caught out by the BC Conservatives.

“We think this should have been fully disclosed to the public,” said Conservative labour critic Kiel Giddens.

“Bringing in an insider for a backroom deal on such a big negotiation, and presumably the other public sector negotiations coming up, this is kind of big news. And this is not something that has been publicized whatsoever.

“The finance minister can’t get it done at the bargaining table and they are trying to find workarounds again.”

Finance Minister Brenda Bailey’s office defended the hiring, saying Heyman, a former president of the BCGEU from 1999 to 2008, was uniquely positioned to help the NDP........

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