EDMONTON – Alberta is bringing in new legislation to establish a pay grid for executives on its agencies, boards, and commissions.
Bill 19, the Reform of Agencies, Boards and Commissions Act, will also allow the government to find out how much it is paying those executives right now.
As it stands, the agencies set their own wages for executives and are not compelled to divulge to the province exactly how much is handed out in base pay, bonuses, and severance.
“Albertans expect compensation arrangements that are funded by public dollars to be consistent with the broader public sector and comparable jurisdictions,” Finance Minister Joe Ceci said. “This legislation directly addresses the wide range of compensation practices that currently exist in our provincial agencies to ensure greater accountability, consistency and fairness.”
There have been reports of some executives receiving hefty six-figure salaries and severance payouts.
READ MORE: Alberta government to review all agencies, boards and commissions
The bill is part of a larger government strategy to bring order, fiscal restraint, and transparency to Alberta’s 301 agencies, boards and commissions.
The government has already started amalgamating or disbanding some agencies, and next month will begin posting online the salaries of the top earners.
In the fall it expanded what’s known as the Sunshine List. Bill 5 requires public disclosure of the salaries of all government agency employees who earn more than $125,000 a year.
With files from Global News
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