The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) says the number of public servants earning $100,000 or more has doubled in just four years. The numbers are based on the New Brunswick Public Accounts for fiscal years ending 2007 and 2011.

With the Province projecting a $545.7 million dollar deficit and the Conservative government hinting they’ll raise taxes to make ends meet, the rapid rise in bureaucrats earning $100,000 or more is cause for concern.

The CTF says the total number of provincial New Brunswick employees earning $100,000 or more in government departments and agencies in 2011 is 386 -- an increase of 195 employees from the 191 in 2007. The departments with the largest increase in the number of employees earning $100,000 or more are the departments of Health, Education/Post-Secondary Education, and Social Development.

If you combine all departments and “other” agencies of government (includes NB Liquor, NB Power, Regional Health Boards etc.) the total number earning 100K or more in 2011 is 1,464 compared to 777 in 2007. NBPower saw the largest increase in this catagory. 

To put these numbers in perspective, the average private sector salary in New Brunswick is between $35,000 & $40,000. In the last ten years, Statistics Canada numbers show the wage gap between government and private sector workers in New Brunswick grew faster than any other province in Canada. You can find more information HERE

Its important to note that these increases are in departmental administration only and not in the delivery of front line services.

Spending more taxpayer money on six-figure salaries for government administrators isn’t going to put a single new dollar to improve our education system for our kids, provide better front line health care or provide relief for those who are burdened by high taxes.

Finance Minister Higgs has launched his “government renewal” project that is aimed at examining administrative costs. Let’s hope that it leads to some real action for taxpayers and significant reforms to get the waste out of government once and for all.