Since Muskrat Falls is going ahead, its multi-billion-dollar cost will be added to the provincial debt and if no new big oil fields are discovered, I’m afraid Newfoundland will return to “have not” status or worse.
Therefore, an open and full disclosure of how our tax dollars are being spent is necessary. In particular, adopting a practice of Ontario, that is, publishing the names and salaries of those who receive compensation of $100,000 or more from the public purse.
The citizens’ taxes pay the salaries, so at that level we should know who and how much we are paying.
We need this law because politicians are always up to some kind of shenanigans with our money. The Len Simms episode is an example. He was appointed by the Progressive Conservative government to be the head of Newfoundland and Labrador Housing at a salary of $150,000. He resigned this position to run the PC campaign during the last election. After the election, he was reappointed to his job. I don’t think this was fair or right.
The other parties don’t give me any comfort that they will do the right thing either. This past week, PC member Tom Osborne quit the PC party. He was in cabinet (salary $150,000) before being booted out.
After Premier Dunderdale told him he was not getting back in (MHA salary, $100,000 not $150,000), he quit.
The worst part about Osborne is that he voted for the government secrecy Bill 29, although he later said he knew it was wrong.
Where is the man’s integrity?
Both Liberal and NDP parties said they would consider taking him into their fold.
Where is their integrity?
Unfortunately, this is the kind of people looking after our tax dollars. Speaking of which, how about an accounting of the $7 million to $10 million dollars the government gave “The Republic of Doyle” over the years?
How many and who connected with that show received $100,000 or more of the citizens’ money?
Let’s have some transparency with the peoples’ tax dollars.
Doug Smith
Grand Falls/Windsor
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