Opposition questions hikes to political aide salaries

Despite campaigning on a promise of fiscal restraint, the newly-elected Liberal government has quietly hiked the pay scales for many political staffers.

Chiefs of staff inministry officesthe aides that accompany cabinet ministersare getting their pay scale limitsbumped up to $105,000 a year, up from a ceiling of $94,500, and the caps in the premier's office are much higher.

'Barack Obama's chief of staff running the White House makes $175,000 a year, and yet we need to have the deputy chief of staff make more than that here in B.C.?' Jordan Bateman, Canadian Taxpayers Federation

Clark'snew deputy chief of staff, Michele Cadario, was hired at a salary of $195,000, which is $50,000 more annuallythan what her predecessor, Kim Haakstad, had earned with a salary capof $144,000.

Under the recentpay scale changes, the salary for Cadario's position cango as high as $230,000.

Christy Clark'schief of staff can alsonow make as much as$230,000, which is up from the previous salarycap of $195,148 for the position.

Jordan Bateman, spokesman for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, wonders how the B.C. Liberal government can justify the salaries, especially in relation to other governments' pay scales.

"Barack Obama's chief of staff running the White House makes $175,000 a year," he said. "And yet we need to have the deputy chief of staff make more than that here in B.C.?"

Oppositionquestions belt-tightening claims

During the election, the Liberals campaigned on the need to control costs. Now that the election is over, the opposition New Democrats are asking whyPremier Christy Clark isn't practicing what she was preaching.

NDP Leader Adrian Dixsaid thecabinet aide raises, along with the recent creation of new aide positions,is almost insulting to the public.

'This is a taxpayer-funded pay increase for political insiders, plain and simple.' NDP house leader John Horgan

"I think what it reflects is a government that has already seemingly forgotten what it told them in the election campaign," he said. "It's so disrespectful to voters."

NDP House leader John Horgan said thehikes amount to the Liberals going back on their campaign promises in favour ofrewarding party insiders. And it is the taxpayers, ultimately, who will pay for the raises.

"The first day that cabinet meets, their priority is not the people of British Columbia; it's to give massive pay increases to political insiders.It's just plain wrong, they're off on the wrong foot," he said. "This is a taxpayer-funded pay increase for political insiders, plain and simple."

Overall staff budget stable: de Jong

Liberal Finance Minister Mike de Jong saidthechangesare part of the process of electing a new government, and thatthe salary increases simply representmoney being re-allocated within the existing staff budget.

"I think people understand that a new government re-elected with a new mandate may make changes of those sort," he said.

"[There are] new positions, some new responsibilities, but again, from a fiscal point of view, the concern has been addressed that the overall budget for staff is the same."

The government won't say how many staffers got pay hikes as a result of the changes, but the premier's office says the total staff budget has actually been reduced from $5.74 million to$5.71 million with the new adjustments.