Premier Tim Houston speaks to reporters (Jacob Moore/Acadia Broadcasting)
Premier Tim Houston says his government was acting quickly when it awarded an untendered $1.9-million contract to a communications firm that employs two of his former aides.
The contract went to Enterprise Canada’s Halifax office in 2022 for marketing work on the Nova Scotia Loyal program — a consumer loyalty initiative first pitched in Houston’s 2021 campaign.
The company’s Atlantic office includes Houston’s former director of communications, Cal MacLellan, and David Tarrant, a senior strategist from the Progressive Conservative campaign.
Houston told reporters the decision was driven by timing and experience, not connections. “The idea for Nova Scotia Loyal was something I’d been thinking about for a couple of years,” he said. “We wanted to get going, so we went with the people who could get it going in our estimation at that time.”
The premier said Enterprise had previous experience running a similar campaign for an Ontario grocery chain, which he said helped justify the choice.
He added he wasn’t directly involved in awarding the contract. “Who was awarded contracts and how that went wasn’t a decision I was part of,” Houston said.
Houston also rejected the suggestion that personal or political ties played a role, saying people shouldn’t be disqualified from public contracts because they’ve worked on campaigns. “It’s a small world,” he said. “I don’t think people should be penalized for volunteering and helping on campaigns.”
Opposition parties have accused the premier of favouritism. NDP Leader Claudia Chender called it “a cheque to close friends,” while Liberal MLA Iain Rankin described it as “a patronage move.”
The premier said the contract has since gone to tender and is now managed by another firm, acknowledging the experience offered lessons for his government. “When you come in, you want to get things going, so you get going,” he said. “The longer you’re there, the more you realize different ways things can be done.”
The Nova Scotia Loyal program has since shifted from a rewards-card model to a branding campaign that includes farmers’ market vouchers and local business promotions.
