The government of Alberta has decided to ensure that public service overtime pay is approved by the Cabinet after Chief Medical Officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw received a $227,911 COVID-19 bonus without the oversight of elected officials. measures are being taken.
Hinshaw received a $363,634 salary plus “cash benefits” in 2021, government records show.that is Maximum cash benefit payment Since the Alberta government began posting records in 2016, according to the CBC, Alberta civil servants
Alberta’s Finance Minister Jason Nixon said public services should not have the ability to “unilaterally approve substantial overtime payments of this magnitude.”
In a statement to The Epoch Times, Nixon said, “The Public Service Commission has been instructed to undergo a full policy review to ensure that future overtime payments for emergencies are approved by the Cabinet. “Until the review is complete and the new policy confirmed, all future requests will be deferred to the Finance Committee for review.”
The comments came when Prime Minister Jason Kenny’s cabinet refused to take responsibility for the bonus. He said he had no prior knowledge of the bonus and had not approved it.
Officials said Hinshaw’s bonus was approved using existing formulas for compensating overtime for civil servants.
Under Hinshaw’s direction, Alberta has implemented a series of lockdowns and introduced a vaccine passport system. Many churches have been fined for holding open services in violation of lockdown restrictions, and three Christian pastors have been arrested.
In May, Kenny announced that he would step down as UCP leader and prime minister after narrowly surviving the party’s leadership scrutiny with the support of 51.4% of party members. He cited enduring anger over his pandemic policies as the reason for his resignation, which will take effect on October 6 when UCP members elect a new leader and prime minister.
This bonus is a big draw in our ongoing leadership contest. UCP’s frontrunner for leadership, Danielle Smith, said Albertans “understandably stunned and furious“Bonus News, Contender’s Brian Jean Said Bonus”Anxiety to say the least“
If elected prime minister, Toews promised to: change the rules To prevent this from happening again.
“People in Alberta expect their tax dollars to be spent with maximum scrutiny. Promise to change the rules,” he tweeted.
Candidate Todd Lowen, who was ousted from the UCP caucuses after calling for Kenny’s resignation over his handling of the pandemic, has called on Alberta’s Comptroller General to investigate bonuses paid by the government. , the state’s New Democratic Party has complied with similar demands.
Rowen hopes to complete a budget review and performance audit for fiscal 2021-22, focusing on the 107 cash bonuses given to government officials and ministry employees.
“We now have statements from several ministers saying they were unaware they were being awarded these bonuses,” the independent MLA wrote in a letter to Auditor General Doug Wylie on Aug. 4. . The Cabinet was unaware whether incumbent directors were really being protected. “
In a letter to Wiley, NDP financial commentator Shannon Phillips called for a performance audit of bonus payment structures and processes related to the COVID-19 pandemic response.
follow
Rachel Emanuel is in charge of federal and Alberta politics.