CALGARY, AB: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling for a 20 per cent cut to Alberta’s deputy and assistant deputy ministers' compensation.

“Taxpayers can’t afford to keep paying the Alberta bureaucrat premium,” said Franco Terrazzano, the CTF’s Alberta Director. “Long gone are the days when Albertans should be asked to pay a 30 per cent premium for their top bureaucrats and Premier Jason Kenney needs to bring Alberta’s bureaucrat compensation in line with our peers.”

The average total annual compensation for Alberta’s deputy and assistant deputy ministers is $327,297 and $234,084 respectively, according to a CTF report based on data from provincial compensation disclosure lists. Alberta’s deputy ministers receive 30 per cent more than the Ontario-West average, while assistant deputy ministers receive 12 per cent more than the average.

Compensation costs for Alberta’s top bureaucrats increased by six per cent between 2014 and 2019, while total compensation for all Alberta employees declined by four per cent, according to Statistics Canada data.

New Zealand’s top bureaucrats took a 20 per cent pay cut to show solidarity with struggling taxpayers during the COVID-19 economic crisis.

“I can confirm that myself and government ministers and public service chief executives will take a 20 per cent pay cut,” said New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

“The Alberta government needs to address its labour costs to balance the budget and begin paying down the debt, and there’s no better place to start than at the top of the pyramid,” said Terrazzano. “When you compare our top bureaucrat pay with other provinces and the many cuts Albertans are enduring, it’s clear that it’s time to end the Alberta bureaucrat premium.”

The CTF report, comparing Alberta’s top bureaucrat compensation with compensation in other provinces and private sector trends, can be found here.