|
another to add to the list of why the liberals suck. they cut services, and gave themselves a raise!
crooked bastards:
Times-Colonist July 16, 2002
Liberal cabinet members increase their own pay
Last week's Public Accounts revealed some surprising behavior on the part
of Premier Campbell and every single one of his Cabinet Ministers. The
Public Accounts showed that the BC Liberal Cabinet increased their own
remuneration by an average of $11,000 annually per Minister.
Apparently, before embarking on program cuts and layoffs, the Premier and
his colleagues decided last year that they were underpaid and something
urgently had to be done about it. The increase they gave themselves -
access to the "Capital City Allowance"- was both hidden and tax-free.
The Capital City Allowance is provided to MLAs to help defray the cost of
living in Victoria when they are present in the capital for legislative or
other duties. The Members receive $48 a day or $150 a day if they stay over
night. Until last year, Cabinet Ministers did not receive this allowance
because they already receive a stipend of $39,000 (or $25,000 in the case
of Ministers without Portfolio) on top of the base MLA salary of $72,100.
This stipend is intended to reflect their additional work and time as
Members of the Cabinet. To receive both the Capital City Allowance and the
Cabinet Ministers stipend was recognized to be "double dipping" and not
allowed.
Last summer, this situation was changed without public discussion, debate
or even notice. The BC Liberals decided that Cabinet Ministers could claim
the Allowance on top of their stipend.
As Cabinet Minister spend considerably more time in the Capital than
regular MLAs, they have been claiming money with a vengeance. George
Abbott, Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services has claimed
$14,431 in ten months. Advanced Education Minister Shirley Bond claimed
$13,659. Transportation Minister Judith Reid from Parksville claimed
$11,328. And on it goes. The Government's record 28 Ministers claimed
$262,477 in ten months. Annualized that is $11,000 per Minister, all of it
tax-free.
In January 2002, just after announcing significant cuts to health,
education and public services the Premier announced a 5% rollback in the
salaries of MLAs. Before this change, the Premier made $117,100; most
Cabinet Ministers made $111,000 dollars. The rollback was only applied to
the MLA base portion of the salary and therefore represented a cut of 3%
for the Premier, 3.5% for his Ministers, or $3,600.
The Premier stated that this cut in pay represented an example of "leading
by example." In the press release announcing the decision, Mr. Campbell's
assets that "Our province has a structural deficit and we must act quickly
to restore sound fiscal management. Families and communities across our
province are facing serious economic challenges, both in the public and
private sectors. This rollback represents our commitment to work together
aggressively to restore proper management of tax dollars."
When making those statements, Mr. Campbell knew that he and his Cabinet
colleagues had substantially increased their own remuneration by providing
the Capital City Allowance to themselves. To pretend under the circumstance
that the BC Liberals were sharing the pain of communities losing their
local hospital or school is dubious even by the standards of modern
political communications.
In defending their recent decision to politicize the entire Communications
Staff of Government, the Premier's office committed "to ensuring that all
misinformation is immediately corrected." and "to do a better job giving
people the facts and information they want and need to properly understand
the changes their elected officials are making in the public interest."
According to the Premier's office, the fact you needed to know was that the
Cabinet implemented a "pay cut" of $3,500/a year in taxable income. The
fact that you didn't need to know was that the average Cabinet Minister
received an average increase of $11,000 in tax-free allowances.
Every single Cabinet Minister received a substantial net increase in
remuneration, including the Premier, contrary to the implication of the
Premier's press release announcement. In fact, the current Cabinet, the
largest and most highly remunerated in history, is 65% more expensive in
salaries and benefits than its NDP predecessor.
On top of their large, almost unprecedented increase in remuneration,
Cabinet Ministers, making $110,000 a year received a tax cut of
approximately $3,000. Consider that many BC taxpayers, particularly young
people and seniors faced with fee increases from MSP to Pharmacare to
tuition, have already had their entire tax cut clawed back by government
policies.
Unlike MLAs, most taxpayers do not receive a benefit package of extended
health and dental coverage paid for by the taxpayer. In fact, the BC
Liberals are cutting their existing coverage and reducing health and
education services.
BULLSHIT!
|
