VICTORIA: The BC division of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today slammed yesterday's announcement by Premier Dan Miller that senior civil servants will receive pay raises ranging from nine and half percent to twenty percent.

"Deputy ministers have hit the taxpayer jackpot," said CTF-BC director Mark Milke. "In a deficit environment, 'competitive pay' for senior bureaucrats is a cruel joke on taxpayers, many of whom have lost ground on their paycheques over the past decade. Moreover, this pay increase may help pad the pension and severance packages of civil servants at an additional long-term expense to taxpayers."

Milke noted that when Alberta ran billion dollar deficits in the early 1990s, every government employee from the Premier on down took a 5% pay cut.

"While competitive pay and performance-based bonuses - with a much smaller civil service - are worth studying in a surplus environment, the premier and cabinet need to refocus their eyes on the deficit and how to eliminate it. Alberta could provide them with some guidance," said Milke.

Examples of measures taken to reduce Alberta's deficits to zero:

A 5% pay reduction for all government employees from premier to legislature gardener.

A 20% reduction in the number of civil servants over four years from 1993 to 1997.

A reduction in the number of government agencies, boards, and commissions.

A reduction in the number school and hospital boards.

Privatization, including government-owned liquor outlets, license registries, printing and mediation services.

Consolidation of energy-related boards and agencies.

Income testing for benefits and elimination of age exemptions.

More frequent performance audits by the Auditor General.

Reduction of business subsidies (and elimination of most in 1996 via legislation.)

Reduction and shift of other subsidy programs including shifting from commodity specific programs to whole-farm approach.

Regulatory review.

Reduction of trade barriers between provinces.

Firm balanced budget legislation.

"The question the Premier and cabinet ought to ask is what taxpayers can afford in terms of public service pay, not what deputy ministers want," noted Milke.