Edmonton – Official Opposition Finance Critic Hugh MacDonald says taxpayers have a right to know how much extra taxpayer-subsidized salary the Progressive Conservative party has paid its premiers over the years.

Alberta’s premier currently receives close to $300,000 in selected payments. Despite this, the Progressive Conservative party has admitted that it will provide an undisclosed amount of extra income to current premier Alison Redford, as it has done in the past for former premier Ed Stelmach.

“On the one hand, the premier has said it’s critical to be transparent about party payments to leaders, but on the other hand she and her ministers have been stonewalling Albertans on the issue,” MacDonald says. “We have very important questions they refuse to answer: how much does the PC party pay its leaders in subsidized party top ups? And why is it necessary?”

In Question Period, Premier Redford characterized the payments as reimbursement for partisan activity, but PC president Bill Smith says the party hands over a set amount of money, some used to reimburse the leader for expenses, the leftovers remaining in the leader’s hands as extra income.

“It’s clear that this isn’t simple reimbursement for routine political activity, but rather a scheme to top up the salaries of PC premiers,” MacDonald says. “And since political donations are tax-deductible, this means that Albertans are subsidizing what amounts to huge bonus payments for premiers that are already extremely well compensated.” These political donations can cost up to $5 million annually. 

Official Opposition Leader Raj Sherman says it’s greedy and unfair for a generously compensated public servant like the premier to accept a taxpayer-subsidized top-up from the PC party.

“It’s called public service, not ‘get rich off the public,’” Sherman says. “These are tough economic times. Working families are really stretched; they’re struggling to make ends meet. Albertans on AISH and seniors with fixed incomes worry about where their next meal is coming from. They have a right to know how much they’re paying their premier. Albertans deserve better.”

– 30 –

For more information contact:

Brendan Wade, Media Liaison                           Brian Leadbetter, Director of Communications
(780) 904-5430                                           (780) 862-5661

[direct link to this article]