Prime Minister Paul Martin is the same old Liberal, appointing "political hacks" and "cronies" to patronage heaven just like his Grit predecessors, Tory and NDP critics grumbled yesterday. The opposition blasted Martin after he went ahead with the appointment of defeated Liberal candidate Glen Murray against the recommendation of a Commons committee. The committee had concluded the former Winnipeg mayor lacked the qualifications to chair a national round table on the environment and the economy.

"The guy doesn't know much about the environment," complained Tory MP Bob Mills in a telephone interview yesterday.

Mills said Murray admitted his limited knowledge of environmental issues in a recent appearance before the committee reviewing his appointment by the PM.

"I can't believe the arrogance of (Martin)," steamed Mills.

NDP boss Jack Layton also condemned Martin's confirmation of Murray, who will make $450 for each meeting he chairs.

"Paul Martin promised to respect MPs and promised to clean up cronyism," Layton said in a statement during a visit to Winnipeg. "By appointing Mr. Murray, he has shown he has no respect for the MPs he promised to empower and that it's cronyism as usual in Paul Martin's Ottawa."

Winnipeg Centre MP Pat Martin was "dumbfounded" by Martin's veto of the committee recommendation.

"We're just shaking our heads with disbelief that the prime minister would cause himself such political damage just to keep one washed up Liberal hack in a patronage appointment," fumed the New Democrat.

Murray's appointment was rejected by Conservative, NDP and Bloc Quebecois members of the Commons committee earlier this month on a vote of 7 to 4.

Martin, who campaigned for the Liberal leadership by vowing to fix the "democratic deficit" in Ottawa, waited until most MPs were out of the capital — the Conservatives are gathered in Montreal for their convention — to release a statement snubbing the advice of the committee.

Martin praised his Liberal friend and failed star candidate in the 2004 election, calling him "one of the pioneers of the green municipal infrastructure initiative" while he was mayor.

Martin said Murray's experience positions him very well "in providing advice and expertise to the Government of Canada as it works to fulfill commitments under the Kyoto Protocol."