PNP probe of premier's ex-staffer voted down

A proposal to have a former government staffer appear to answer questions about the provincial nominee program was voted down by P.E.I.'s public accounts committee Thursday.  

Allan Rankin, former clerk of the executive council, was P.E.I.'s most senior civil servant in 2008 when government processed 1,300 applications under the Provincial Nominee Program.              

Rankin now writes a column for the Graphic newspapers.

In a recent column, Rankin said Premier Robert Ghiz became directly involved in allocating units to businesses under the PNP.

Rankin was also harshly critical of Ghiz's actions and of the program itself.              

Opposition Leader Steven Myers put forward the motion to have Rankin appear, but it was voted down by the Liberal majority on the committee.

Premier Robert Ghiz's office issued this statement in January.

"These assertions are completely untrue and are disappointing to hear. The Provincial Nominee Program has been thoroughly reviewed and audited, including by the Auditor General, whose report was presented to the Public Accounts Committee. Additional reviews were also conducted by the RCMP and the Canadian Border Service Agency. None of these reviews substantiate the misinformation being spread."