News from Ontario’s Conservative Party
(A Brief Foreword Note from NAL – Lest are not old enough t remember or choose not to remember, there were certainly enough provincial public sector emloyees who were paid and/or misspent big bucks under Mike Harris’s Conservative government in the late 1990s and early 2000s.)
QUEEN’S PARK, March 26th, 2015 – The 2014 Sunshine List shows the Liberal government continues to allow public sector wages to rise at an unsustainable rate, to the detriment of all of the people of the province.
The number of people on the list grew by 13.9% over 2013. In actual numbers of people, this is the highest single increase ever – an inexcusable amount given the financial situation in the province.
“The fact that the Sunshine List has grown again and so rapidly, proves the Liberals are not serious about meeting their deficit reduction targets, nor do they appear to be concerned about the implications of ballooning public sector salaries as they pertain to public service cuts and layoffs. There is a direct correlation,” said Lisa MacLeod, PC Treasury Board critic. There are a number of examples that are particularly striking. At Hydro One, 77 per cent of full time employees are now on the list. It helps to explain why the government yesterday introduced yet another increase to hydro rates for most taxpayers. “If Hydro One didn’t have so many high-priced employees, basic taxpayers wouldn’t be asked to carry yet another load they can’t afford,” MacLeod stated. Additionally, the number of CCAC employees on the list increased by 67 per cent. Given the problems to the system and recent service cuts, this increase is unconscionable.
MacLeod also pointed out that, contrary to the government’s claims in the Legislature this week that the rate of public sector raises is declining, the information released today shows that is clearly not the case.
Finally, MacLeod noted that “the Sunshine List has made its own list. With the 13.9 per cent increase in people on the list, it too is now over 100,000.”
As an ad on, here is a response to the Sunshine List just in this March 27th from the Ontario New Democratic Party
Statement by Ontario NDP Finance Critic Catherine Fife on the Sunshine List
Queen’s Park – Ontario NDP Finance Critic Catherine Fife released the following statement in response to the release of the Sunshine List.
“The latest edition of the Sunshine List shows that even as she prepares to make more cuts to public services in the upcoming budget, Kathleen Wynne has done absolutely nothing to control the rise of outrageous public sector CEO salaries despite her pledge to do so. She promised change when she became Premier. Instead we’re seeing the same old Liberal arrogance. She promised accountability and transparency. Instead the Premier’s office is under 4 separate OPP investigations and mired in cover-ups.
Under Kathleen Wynne’s watch public sector CEOs have hit the jackpot in Ontario. Meanwhile her government is handing layoff notices to nurses, closing hospital beds, slashing $500 million in funding to schools over the next three years, and cutting support for social assistance and social housing. The Sunshine List proves there’s nothing progressive about Liberal priorities.”
To access all information on the Sunshine List click on http://www.ontario.ca/government/public-sector-salary-disclosure .
(NOW IT IS YOUR TURN. Niagara At Large encourages you to share your views on this post. A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who share their first and last name with them.)
Niagara At Large 
Its not public sector wages out of control, its private sector workers lacking unions with real bargaining power so they can recoup an appropriate share of the profits of their labours.
I really think the emphasis is wrongly placed. The real problem is free trade has gutted the unionized labour movement in the private sector. Remember when the private sector was ahead of government workers?
Private sector executive jobs still more outrageously compensated than public sector executives.
The real problem is the barriers erected that do not allow unions to organize entire sectors of industries. Example, unionize one Wal Mart store out of hundreds allows the employer to shut down outwait the workers. The other thing is allowing employers to use scab labour during strikes at large companies like Vale.
I learned a valuable lesson from the union committee man on my first job out of high school: “Never try to bring another worker down to your level, always try to bring yourself up!” In other words it makes no sense to complain about high paid public sector workers, complain about your own under valued work.
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Dave Thomas Sr. , Said it all. We are becoming a lot like Brazil where just about everybody has a job in Government. and then a part time job on the side. we the workers are now the underdogs in Canada.!!!
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I think a mention should be made that some, not all, in the sunshine club are there due to obligatory overtime.
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