New NB Liquor CEO will probe secret pay report

NB Liquor's new president is committing to asking questions about a secret report on compensation given to his predecessor.

The Crown corporation's board of directors commissioned a review into the compensation given to Dana Clendenning, the Liberal-appointed president and chief executive officer, earlier in 2010.

But in the dying days of the Liberal government, cabinet ministers were tight-lipped about the report and its contents.

When CBC News requested a copy of the report, the Crown corporation refused to disclose it without a formal request through the Right to Information Act, a process that can take months.

Daniel Allain, who was appointed as president and chief executive officer of NB Liquor last week by Premier David Alward, said he would look into the report.

"I know there was a report done internally, and there was some board discussions, and again the only thing I want to commit is to make sure proper guidelines and regulations have been followed," Allain said.

'New Brunswickers own NB Liquor right now, so the owners should have access to transparency.' — Daniel Allain, NB Liquor president

Clendenning earned between $150,000 and $175,000 in his position and he was awarded an undisclosed severance package when he was forced to leave the job after the Liberal government lost the Sept. 27 election.

Allain, who begins his term as NB Liquor's president on Monday, said the secrecy surrounding the document isn't in keeping with Alward's commitment to transparency.

His said his first priority is to make sure any compensation changes were proper and were done according to the rules.

"New Brunswickers own NB Liquor right now, so the owners should have access to transparency," Allain said.

"That's one of the fundamental beliefs that this government has and we're certainly going to be doing that."