Government executives, executives received $190 million in bonuses during pandemic

Federal executives and senior managers were paid more than $190 million in bonuses in the 2021 pandemic year.

According to Blacklocks Reporter, the largest payout went to 295 executives, representing 96% of the Justice Department’s senior executives. $17.9 million was allocated between them.

A total of $5.5 million was paid to the Governor’s Office, Communications Security Agency, Quebec Department of Economic Development, Southern Ontario Economic Development Authority, and administrators of the Center for Financial Transactions and Report Analysis.

In 23 other federal agencies, 95% of top staff, executives, or seniors received bonuses. This included the heritage, finance, fisheries, diplomacy, indigenous services, infrastructure, justice, public safety, public works and transportation sectors.

“Canada has world-class public services and our employees are dedicated to providing the highest level of service to Canadians,” Finance Board President Mona Fortier wrote in the study. . “Indeed, Canada’s public services are recognized worldwide for their quality and effectiveness.”

The bonus was called a “performance pay”. Fortier said his plans for incentives like this are common among corporate executives in the private and public sector in Canada. The investigation did not provide details on which individuals received payments.

Call for greater transparency

According to Blacklock’s, “Access To Information records from government agencies confirm that bonus payments are made on a regular basis regardless of outcome.”

In 2020, the Canadian Tourism Board paid executives $32,652 each and laid off 9% of its staff, even as tourism was severely restricted during the pandemic.

CBC paid $30.4 million in pandemic bonuses and sought further subsidies. Blacklock’s reported that the public broadcaster paid out bonuses of $15 million in 2020 and $15.4 million the following year, but complained it was still under “huge pressure” and paid $1.3 billion a year to the government. requested $21 million to supplement the grant.

In a separate article, Blacklock’s reported that on Sept. 27, Senator Percy Downe proposed an amendment to the Broadcast Act that would force the CBC to disclose the maximum salaries of announcers and officers. He said anyone earning a salary higher than the $164,500 a year senator should disclose their salary, and that such transparency would benefit all Canadians.

“All we know is that five CBC staff earn between $250,000 and $300,000, with an average salary of $342,000,” says Downe. “No name, no program.”

Mr Downe said high earners at the British Broadcasting Corporation have wage disclosure obligations.

“As a public broadcaster funded primarily by taxpayers, the CBC has a greater obligation than commercial broadcasters to be more open about how it spends its money,” Down told the Senate. .

Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director of the Taxpayers Federation of Canada, said, “It is not fair to demand tax increases from distressed taxpayers. Taxpayer-funded CBCs have provided millions in bonuses to help them recover during the pandemic. so that I can get a raise in the future,” he said. The Post Media reported.

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