The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the Thompson government to cut spending on bureaucrat salaries and implement a sunshine list after newly obtained documents show a sharp increase in the number of provincial bureaucrats earning more than $100,000 a year.

The number of government bureaucrats earning more than $100,000 jumped from 192 in the 2022-23 to 342 in 2024-25, according to documents obtained by the CTF. That’s about an 80 per cent increase in two years.

“Taxpayers can’t afford to keep bankrolling this ballooning government wage bill,” said Devin Drover, CTF Atlantic Director. “Islanders deserve to know where their tax dollars are going and who is taking home six-figure salaries funded by taxpayers.”

The surge comes as the Prince Edward Island government continues to increase the debt. The provincial government borrowed $129 million last year. That was $80 million over budget. The total debt is more than $3 billion for the first time.

“Taxpayers shouldn’t be kept in the dark on cost of paying senior bureaucrats,” said Drover. “When government payrolls balloon this quickly, transparency is not optional.”

Prince Edward Island is one of only two provinces in Canada without a sunshine list that discloses the names, positions and compensation of government bureaucrats earning more than $100,000 annually.

“Almost every province has accepted that taxpayers have a right to see how their money is being spent,” said Drover. “There is no justification for Prince Edward Island lagging behind the rest of the country on basic transparency.”

Sunshine lists are standard across Canada and are widely used to promote accountability, discourage excessive compensation growth and build trust in taxpayer-funded government finances.

“If the Thompson government is serious about fiscal responsibility, the first step is letting taxpayers see the books,” said Drover. “Sunlight is the best disinfectant.”