Consider this: if you were to leave your job or get fired from your position, would you expect a large payout from your employer? Or, does it make sense if your already large salary is supplemented by cash and non-cash ‘benefits’ to double your overall package to a total above half a million dollars? Well, this is in fact the reality for some of the top Government employees throughout the bureaucracy.

And this may not be the worst of it! Perpetual financial waste is rife across even the smallest of initiatives. Whether it is the erection of expensive road signs or the printing of branded promotional jackets, Alberta’s taxpayer money is being shown the least regard by the current PC administration.

The recent Government of Alberta annual fiscal reports have shed light on the extent of this problem. We have learnt that Alberta’s chief representative in Asia, Gary Mar receives an annual package of approximately $560,000. Now, we understand that there is important work the Government must see to globally and the Wildrose certainly understands the importance of drawing international investments and building relationships with foreign partners, particularly in Asia.

However, we feel the benefits received for many top Government employees who work globally is just getting out of hand. Employee packages that include a vehicle, heavily subsidized housing, and international schooling tuition for children do not need the extra perks of ‘cash benefits’, however these might come.

The Alberta Health Services has also come under criticism for the way in which payout compensations occur. Millions of dollars have been awarded to vice presidents and top executives who have either stepped down or been dismissed. This includes approximately $2.4 million in severance shared between five VP’s who had stipulated in their contracts 12 months of their base salary in compensation. It does not help when there is a culture of “leaving with benefits” which sees the AHS have four different CEO’s in office in one year.

We believe their needs to be a serious restructure of the process of payout compensation. Whilst we acknowledge the need for financial assurance, especially when going through a period of change, we see no need for continuous lengthy payouts, particularly at high end base salaries. A formula needs to be developed that recognises the various factors that come into question when determining how much and for how long severance packages are needed.

Earlier this year we learnt that the Government spent over $1 million on road signs with the “Building Alberta” branding. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) revealed that with 293 signs being rolled out across the province, the unit price of an individual sign was $3,560. If it is road signs the Government deems so important, the money would have been far better spent on improving road safety. This could be done through highlighting critical ‘blackspots’ or accident prone areas, or, alternatively, increasing driver awareness through more visible instructions on the roads.

The wasteful nature of this Government goes right down to the smallest of operations. It may not have the greatest bearing on the Government’s ever-extending list of expenses, however, spending $10 thousand of taxpayer money on promotional light-weight jackets is not the most responsible idea. These “building Alberta” windbreakers were given to PC MLA’s and staff to promote this Government’s slogan. Yet Premier Hancock did not receive one of these jackets, let alone approve this expenditure in the first place. He even said it was a bad idea. But it raises the question: what system or body checks these kinds of initiatives? How many other similar initiatives are taking place that we simply have no idea about? How much money is being truly wasted?

The Wildrose is committed to bringing better decision-making to Government. By decentralizing many existing platforms and reducing the size of the bureaucracy and Cabinet the Wildrose would dramatically scale back financial waste and direct capital into areas that the public continues to tell us needs improvement, infrastructure, education and health facilities. Albertans can be sure to trust that the Wildrose Official Opposition will continue to hold this government to account, as long as it may take, for the misuse and abuse of taxpayer dollars.