Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/5/2017 (1208 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The change in provincial government last year cost taxpayers more than $4 million in severance payments alone, the Free Press has learned.

After Brian Pallister’s Progressive Conservatives swept into office, ending 161/2 years of NDP rule, some 112 political staff and civil servants left voluntarily or were shown the door.

The cost of severance for these staff amounted to $4.34 million, the results of a freedom of information request state.

Meanwhile, the bill for holding the swearing-in of Pallister’s first cabinet at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights on May 3, 2016, was $6,241.86, according to the government. The tab was paid by the Department of Growth, Enterprise and Trade.

When Gary Doer’s NDP swept the Filmon Tories from power in 1999, the province paid $1,232,440 to 53 people who were considered political staff, such as spokespersons for ministers and assistants, the Free Press reported in July 2000.

Before the Conservatives left office, they passed an order in council — agreed to by the then-incoming NDP — that would see staff given a 10-week lump sum payment plus two weeks’ pay for every year of service. In addition, nearly $500,000 was paid to four deputy ministers who left shortly after the change in government.

In the information recently obtained by the Free Press, there was no breakdown provided between payments to political staff and payments to civil servants cut loose after the Progressive Conservatives came to power.

The FIPPA (Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act) application requested transition costs, including for outgoing political and civil service staff, salaries paid to transition team members, the cost of any outside reports related to the transition and the cost of swearing-in Brian Pallister’s first cabinet.

According to the response, one member of the PC transition team, Brian Manning, received $17,911 for his work. However, breakdowns for most other transition team members were not provided as the individuals received full-time positions with the new government. They include Olivia Baldwin-Valainis, Philip Houde, Rick Mantey, Michael Richards, Jonathan Scarth and James White.

The province’s executive council said it had no record of payment to Eric Stefanson, the former Filmon cabinet minister who led Pallister’s transition team.

As well, it said it did not locate records of costs for any outside reports related to the transition. Seventeen years ago, the then-Doer government said it paid Deloitte and Touche $375,000 for a report on the province’s finances, plus $94,000 to a consulting company. It disclosed it paid $79,000 to five key members of its transition team.

The NDP Opposition noted in a statement Monday the 2016 severance figure obtained by the Free Press includes severance for civil servants, making comparisons between the two outgoing administrations difficult. It also noted the size of the provincial economy roughly doubled during the NDP’s time in government, offering more services and programs in health, education, social services and infrastructure.

"The number of staff needed to support government grew in accordance with the need to provide more services for Manitobans," an NDP spokeswoman said.

Premier Brian Pallister was in meetings Monday afternoon and unavailable for comment, a PC spokeswoman said.

In answer to a question posed by interim NDP Leader Flor Marcelino earlier this month, Pallister claimed the previous administration had nearly twice as many political staff as his government does.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca