Pay raises for top officials still a hot topic
Alberni Valley Times
September 25, 2008

Though cooler nights indicate that fall is definitely arriving on Vancouver Island, one lingering hotspot seems to be the Legislature in Victoria.

So hot, in fact, that Premier Gordon Campbell has decided to backtrack on pay raises for top provincial bureaucrats.

…. In fact, with the way the Liberals have structured the finances of the province, James and the NDP are already making inroads along those lines. The poorest are hit hardest by the tax cuts in losing necessary service, whether it's child care or home care for seniors. The working poor see no benefits as the minimum wage remains at a level that no one can survive on. The middle class see some savings, but it's the wealthy who have gained from Liberal tax cuts. The NDP have some fertile ground to go to the citizens of this province to point out how cuts to the poorest benefit the richest.

… The total amount spent on the raises will be $3.15 million per year. The average pay for a deputy minister will be $217,758 and for an assistant deputy minister $157,608. McDonald's base pay will be $291,938.

This is about a lot more than money. It's about a government that really does seem to be arrogant and out of touch with B.C.