Tories turn over salary info for CBC but not PMO

Before the House of Commons rose for the Christmas break, the New Democrats played a bit of mischief with attempts by some Conservative MPs to shake out salary details from the CBC, as part of their on-going jihad against the leftists cabal of the “state broadcaster”.

Tory MP Brent Rathgeber had tabled order paper questions to the Department of Canadian Heritage demanding to know the salaries of top CBC brass, on-air talent such as Peter Mansbridge and George Stroumboulopoulos, and the number of Corp. employees earning more than a $100,000 annually. By Parliament’s rules, the government is required to provide a response in the House within 45 days.

The NDP countered with order paper questions of their own, tabled by Quebec MP Tyrone Benskin, that used identical wording to request the  same details about the Prime Minister’s Office.

Well, the 45 days are up and the government’s responses to both threads of inquiry have been tabled.

Not surprisingly, Heritage Minister James Moore, in responding to Rathgeber’s query, cited privacy law and declined to provide the salaries of the CBC stars. He did, however, share the fact that about 730 employees at CBC are earning $100,000 or more. (Any number here would have set off outrage at Sun Media but a high three digit figure is heavenly for our friends over there). Here’s Moore’s response:

Question No. 249–

Mr. Brent Rathgeber: With respect to salaries at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), how many employees at the CBC earn more than $100,000.00, and what are their names and salaries?
Hon. James Moore (Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, CPC): Mr. Speaker, CBC/Radio-Canada currently has approximately 730 employees who earn more than $100,000 per year. Their names and precise salaries are protected as per the federal Privacy Act and Access to Information Act.

So, naturally, we’d expect the same level of disclosure of salaries about PMO, right? Right?!

Not exactly. In his tabled response to Benskin, Treasury Board President Tony Clement — he who champions “open government” — refused to provide the number of PMO staff making $100,000 — the same information Moore handed over about Mother Corp. Here’s Clement:

Question No. 255–

Mr. Tyrone Benskin: With respect to salaries at the Prime Minister’s Office and Ministers’ offices, how many employees earn more than $100,000.00, and what are their names and salaries?
Hon. Tony Clement (President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario, CPC): Mr. Speaker, under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act, the names and exact salaries of personnel cannot be released.
Salary maximums for exempt staff are equivalent to the public service. The salary ranges for ministers’ offices are outlined in section 3.3 of the “Policies for Ministers’ Offices”, which can be found at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/hrpubs/mg-ldm/2011/pgmo-pldcm03-eng.asp#toc3-3. The equivalent salary ranges for the public service can be found at http://publiservice.tbs-sct.gc.ca/gui/prtt-eng.asp and http://publiservice.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/hrpubs/coll_agre/rates-taux-eng.asp.
Ministers’ office expenditures are reported annually in the Public Accounts of Canada. For the latest ministers’ office expenditures, members may refer to the Public Accounts, volume III, section 10.28, at www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/recgen/txt/72-eng.html.

That link takes one to the home page of the Public Accounts, not a page detailing PMO salaries, which, as far as I know, does not exist.

Now, I’m not much for comparative analysis of double-standards in political discourse, but this one seems nakedly obvious: The government will provide the number of highly-paid employees in a Crown corporation that operates at arm’s length, but it will not provide the same level of accountability for the Prime Minister’s own office.

Original Article
Source: ottawa citizen 
Author: Glen McGregor