Deputy ministers face call for 20 per cent cut in pay

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on Alberta’s deputy and assistant deputy ministers to take a 20-per-cent pay cut, which would save the province $6 million annually.

The non-profit advocacy organization released a report Thursday on how much the Alberta government spent on top bureaucrats last year. The report said the province spent roughly $32 million on 124 deputy and assistant deputy ministers in 2019.

The average salary in 2018, which includes benefits, for Alberta deputy ministers was roughly $300,000 while Ontario had $287,196, British Columbia $263,700 and Manitoba $168,500, according to the report.

Alberta’s assistant deputy ministers in 2018 on average made $192,500 while Ontario’s total average compensation was $186,700 and B.C.’S was $167,000.

The federation’s Alberta director Franco Terrazzano said it is not unprecedented to ask for these kinds of cuts, as New Zealand did something similar in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We now have a massive deficit and skyrocketing debt that we need to deal with,” he said. “We’re going to need to see cuts across the board and the best place to start is at the top of the pyramid with the leaders in the bureaucracy. Long gone are the days when Albertans should be asked to pay a big premium for top bureaucrats.”

Last year, Alberta MLAS unanimously voted to slash their own pay by five per cent to $120,936, with Premier Jason Kenney taking a 10-per-cent reduction, bringing his salary down to $186,180.

Terrazzano said this was a step in the right direction.

Deputy ministers, who are the most senior public servants in each of the province’s 22 ministries, provide support to their minister and oversee day-to-day operations. According to the province’s website, the salary range for senior officials ranges from $213,476 to $286,977.

Terrazzano said the data in their report is based on the average compensation from Alberta’s salary and severance disclosure and other provincial government documents.

The total number of deputy ministers and assistant deputy ministers has ranged over the years from as many as 127 in 2017 to 109 in 2015. Terrazzano said the majority of staff on the list are assistant deputy ministers.

Jerrica Goodwin, press secretary to Finance Minister Travis Toews, said in an email the Alberta government is committed to fiscal responsibility.

“The broad goal is to align public-sector compensation with other provinces,” she said. “A salary freeze for all non-union Alberta public service employees has been in place since 2016. This includes assistant deputy minister and deputy ministers and means that they have not received any sort of raise or cost of living increases since 2015.”