Health Services Executive Contracts (April 14)
Dr. Taft: Mr. Speaker, executives at Alberta Health Services are paid large salaries and then bonuses, and now today we learn they are paid premiums on top of the bonuses.
Plus, they get gold-plated retirement packages without contributing to them. It’s become a private feeding frenzy on the public purse in an organization that is struggling badly to do its job. The Minister of Health and Wellness has reversed policies by Alberta Health Services on pharmacy, bed closures, surgeries, ambulance consolidations, so why won’t he reverse the pay policies of Alberta Health Services and bring it into line with the rest of the province?
Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, I assume the hon. member is talking about contracts. That’s a lot different than some sort of a plan or a policy change or some other initiative. Contracts are contracts. We have to adhere to them.
Dr. Taft: I’m hoping the contracts are in line with some kind of policy, and our policy needs to be changed.
Does the minister buy the line from Alberta Health Services that it’s a good idea to pay premiums of up to $79,000 a year to staff who are already getting huge salaries, bonuses, and retirement plans? Is that a good idea?
Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, I think I indicated yesterday that the policy is under review by Alberta Health Services. They are the ones who are responsible for recently created contracts and/or recently created policies regarding those employment contracts. They’re also reviewing contracts of the past, those that they inherited from one of the three provincial boards or from the nine health authorities.
Dr. Taft: To the same minister: given that the salary range for provincial deputy ministers, who run entire departments, goes up to $253,000 plus benefits and a car, if this is good enough for a deputy minister, why isn’t it good enough for an executive at Alberta Health Services?
Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, I think that if the hon. member took the time to take a look at health systems across Canada, perhaps elsewhere, he would realize that these salaries are in line with those top-level executives who are outside the government stream at an arm’s-length level. But I can assure this member that no bonuses will be paid unless specific performance targets are met in accordance with the recently revised standardized contracts that Alberta Health Services has now put in place.
Alberta Hansard, April 14, 2010