The controversial former Canadian politician Alison Redford has been hired again by the Government of Guyana for more work in the petroleum sector.
The further hiring of Redford, the former premier of the province of Alberta, was not disclosed by the government but by the former Canadian High Commissioner Lilian Chatterjee.
“They [the Guyana Government] were looking for technical assistance. We identified her and they were very happy. They have since brought her back for other things and intend to work with her on future projects. But I don’t know more than that. I just know that they were very pleased with her and her team’s performance,” Chatterjee told Sunday Stabroek in a recent exit interview.
In August, just two weeks after entering office, the new government had announced its hiring of the Canadian Queen’s Counsel to review the evaluation of plans for the development of ExxonMobil’s Payara oil field but there has been little information on her work. The Payara review report is yet to be made public more than three months on. The terms of reference of her work also remain shrouded in secrecy.
In light of Canada having provided the financial aid and recommendation for Redford’s hiring, Chatterjee was asked about the silence from both Canada and the Government of Guyana on Redford’s terms of reference and the report on ExxonMobil’s Payara oil well.
Chatterjee said that she could follow up on the reasons but explained that when her government gives support they do not set criteria for it and she thought that the report had been made public.
“Well, we don’t have strings attached when we provide the support. They were looking for technical expertise, we provided the technical expertise. We don’t put conditions. Same with the CARICOM (electoral) recount team. You need for a team to come? Here is the money, we give you the money and you take care of that. We don’t say ‘We will give you the money if you do X, Y or Z’”, she explained.
“I can follow up to find out but it was not part of the terms. Actually, the money was already given to the government. It was given to the Department of Energy a while back and we just told the government ‘you have got the money already, to use for her as you like’. So that is what they did. The money was to support technical capacity. They accepted her as the technical adviser and they used the funds that way”, she added.
On August 15th, the Ministry of Natural Resources had announced that the Canadian Queen’s Counsel would be reviewing the evaluation of plans for the development of ExxonMobil’s Payara oil field which was being undertaken by Bayphase Oil and Gas Consultants.
Identified
The announcement had prompted questions over her technical qualifications to conduct the review, which resulted in the ministry hours later explaining in a second press release that she would be leading a team and that she has also worked with other groups around the world to conduct similar reviews. It also detailed her experience in the field and in governance.
Redford’s team also included the former Deputy Minister of Energy in Newfoundland, Canada, senior international reservoir engineers and Jay Park, QC, Managing Partner of Park Energy Law based in Canada and the United Kingdom.
Redford had headed the review team even though the government had at its disposal the now fired Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Dr. Vincent Adams, who had played a lead role in the Payara project review and who has decades of experience in the public and private sectors in environmental management, groundwater and petroleum production fields, and worked on US billion- dollar projects at the United States Department of Energy.
Adams holds a PhD in Environmental Engineering, MSc Degrees in Groundwater Hydrology and Geological Engineering/Petroleum Engineering, and a BSc in Civil Engineering.
“We have Dr. Adams there and he knows what this is about and what is needed to be done in the best interest of this country and are confident he will assist,” one senior government source had said at the start of the process shortly before Adams was abruptly sent off on leave.
Questioned on why Adams was not appointed the lead reviewer, the source had pointed out that it was a Canadian grant and Redford was identified by the Canadian government and the Guyana Government had confidence that she and Adams and the entire team, “will advise the government on the people’s best interest, this country’s best interest and the environment’s sustainability.”
Adams was sent on leave shortly after Redford began her work and he was dismissed from his position last month without any explanation being provided by the government. It was thought that the government felt that Adams would not give swift approval to the Payara project and would insist on more safeguards from ExxonMobil in relation to flaring of natural gas and the treating of water from the oil well.
Redford stepped down as Alberta’s premier in 2014 after two and a half years following a series of questions about her leadership and controversy over expenditure on plane tickets.
In August, 2014, provincial Auditor General Merwan Saher had found Redford and her office used taxpayer money “inappropriately” during her time as Alberta premier, with planes used for personal and partisan purposes, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had in 2014 opened an investigation after the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) revealed that Redford had flown her daughter on 50 government flights. Auditor General Merwan Saher conducted an audit of Redford’s travel expenses and her use of government planes. CBC had said that Saher found that Redford and her office used taxpayer money “inappropriately” during her time as Alberta premier, with planes used for personal and partisan purposes.
In February of 2015, the RCMP closed the investigation without charges.
