After a mass exodus earlier this week, five new members have been appointed to the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board. 

The new members are chair Marina James, vice-chair Michael Moore, Lisa Meeches, Melanie McKague and Wade Linden. James is the CEO of WinnipegREALTORS and the former CEO of Economic Development Winnipeg. 

Tory MLA Cliff Graydon was the only member of the formerly 10-member board who did not resign Wednesday. The province says he will continue to serve on the new board. 

A written statement issued Wednesday by former chair Sandy Riley, on behalf of the nine board members resigning, cited an inability to have meaningful dialogue with Premier Brian Pallister over finance and governance issues as the reason for their leaving; it also said the board was informed the government planned to remove Riley as chair. 

Pallister suggested the resignations were sparked by the province's refusal to procceed with a multi-million dollar payment to the Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF) - a payment he characterized as "persuasion money" over a transmission line to Minnesota. 

MMF president David Chartrand says Pallister is pulling "the race card" and blaming the Metis people for his failings as a Premier. 

He says the $67-million payment is no different from Hydro offering money to private landowners or farmers whose land they acquire for Hydro purposes.