Pay freeze lifted

Strathmore – Brooks  

 

Seventeen months ago – on Feb. 19, 2013 – Finance Minister Doug Horner announced a three-year salary freeze for public sector managers. He called it quote “leading by example” – and said it was a symbolic move on the government’s behalf to get their spending under control. 

Since then, this government has been overwhelmed by a never ending list of entitlement scandals afflicting politicians and top-level officials across government. If ever there was a time for this government to demonstrate to Albertans they respect taxpayers, this would have been it. 

Last week, through an Order-in-Council, the PCs approved a salary hike for the highest-level government managers, many of whom are political appointees. These include Deputy Ministers, Officials in the Public Affairs Bureau and all of Alberta’s foreign representatives- including Gary Mar. As you will recall, Mar is already Alberta’s highest paid government employee with total compensation last year of a staggering $560,000.

Adding insult to injury, the PCs have not only broken another promise, this time they tried to sneak it by Albertans. With many Alberta families now enjoying summer vacation with friends and family, the masterminds in the PC leadership hoped to get away with giving senior appointees and insiders a big raise without anyone noticing.

This is the culture of entitlement that the Wildrose Caucus will continue to fight against as the Official Opposition. 

We need a government that puts the needs of Albertans and Frontline workers first, not a government that is focused on assisting insiders and senior officials. 

Albertans can be assured the only way to fix it, is with a new Wildrose government. 

Please feel free to contact me via e-mail (strathmore.brooks@assembly.ab.ca).