Premier Rodney MacDonald's former chief of staff admits she was dismissed from her job the day she was offered another position as head of a new government agency.

Heather Foley Melvin's $130,000-a-year salary remained unchanged when she was appointed head of Conserve Nova Scotia shortly after the June provincial election.

Heather Foley Melvin apologized to the committee for being unco-operative during an appearance last November.
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She was back before the public accounts committee Wednesday to answer questions about her three-year contract, which opposition MLAs suggest was pure Tory patronage.

Foley Melvin said she didn't know she was about to be let go as the premier's adviser when she met with MacDonald. And when he dismissed her just four months into the job, she didn't press for details.

Interim Liberal Leader Michel Samson said the premier should have hired headhunters to find the best candidate to head Conserve Nova Scotia instead of simply appointing someone he had just fired.

Foley Melvin dismissed a suggestion that she step down and fight for her job, saying Nova Scotians should judge her on her performance.

Despite assurances by Foley Melvin that she's qualified to run the provincial agency, Samson said taxpayers remain skeptical.

"Are you truly the best possible candidate for that position?" he said. "Maybe you are, but because of the premier's own action of arbitrarily going out and making his decision on his own we cannot answer that for Nova Scotians."

Foley Melvin offers apology

Foley Melvin's appearance before the committee was a stark contrast to last November, when she refused to answer questions about her appointment.

She began the session Wednesday by offering an apology.

"I recognize that I am a senior public servant employed by the province of Nova Scotia," said Foley Melvin, a lawyer at her side.

"I want to apologize if my responses came across as though I did not wish to answer the questions. I believe that I had certain legal obligations, which I did not express to this committee."

Foley Melvin said she hired the lawyer to represent her interests.

It's unclear who will pay her legal bill.