Nunavut senior staff net $873K in performance pay

Senior staff in the Nunavut government received almost $873,000 in performance bonuses and merit pay in the last fiscal year, but Premier Eva Aariak says the amount is lower than in past years.

Of that amount, which was paid out in the 2009-2010 fiscal year, about $252,548 went to deputy ministers and heads of Crown corporations, according to documents obtained by CBC News.

Senior civil staff including deputy ministers, assistant deputy ministers, Crown corporation executives, directors and others receive merit-based salary increases and one-time performance bonuses if the Senior Personnel Secretariat determines that theyare deserving ofsuch bonuses.

According to the documents, a total of $872,452 in merit pay and performance bonuses were awarded to senior managers in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010.

The latest figure is down from $979,021 that was awarded in the 2008-2009 fiscal year and $960,393 in 2007-2008.

"Ever since I've been in my position, the bonuses have gone down considerably," Aariak, who became premier in 2008, told CBC News on Friday.

"Because of our financial situation, in these times, the merit has been capped at four per cent," she added.

Capped at 4%

In past years, the senior staff bonuses totalled $830,321 in 2006-2007 in $879,142 in 2005-2006, according to documents tabled in the legislature in those years.

However, it's not clear how many people were awarded those bonuses.

Government officials say that in past years, performance-based pay was limited to a maximum of eight per cent a year.

Due to the government's tough financial situation, the Senior Personnel Secretariat a cabinet committee consisting of the premier, finance minister, human resources minister and government house leader capped the increases at four per cent in 2009-2010, according to officials.

Performance pay details have not been tabled in the Nunavut legislative assembly in 2 years. Aariak said it is up to regular MLAs to ask for that information, but she added that the government has nothing to hide when it comes retaining good staff with bonuses.

Quttiktuq MLA Ron Elliott said while he is not against the idea of performance pay, he believes MLAs should have access to details about how such bonus and merit payments are awarded.

"It gives us an indication, too, in terms of holding the government accountable if certain departments are not performing," hetold CBC News.

Elliott said he will ask the premier this week to table the information in the legislature.