At least one Alberta MLA considering jumping in the PC leadership race says it’s time to take another look at the policy around severance deals for staff in the premier’s office.

On Friday it was revealed $1.3 million in severance, benefits and vacation payouts were granted to nine staffers let go from former premier Alison Redford’s office following her resignation.

The large figures for the departing staff have sparked public outrage and criticism from the opposition, and now Justice Minister Jonathan Denis, who is considering a run at Redford’s former job, believes it’s worth taking another look at the way severance for senior political staff is set.

“This is people’s hard earned money we are talking about, this is tax dollars, so what I think is any senior level staff should have their contract and severance approved by the Treasury Board and not just by the premier,” he said.

Currently, the premier approves contracts for senior staffers within his/her own office, he said.

Once senior political staff contracts are approved by the Treasury Board, of which Denis is a member, they should then be made public, including severance, he said.

And any limits to severance amounts should also be made by the Treasury Board in his view.

“We should take it to the Treasury Board where they can examine a person’s qualification, market conditions, as well as what the public would have to say about a particular contract,” he said.

Another Calgary MLA, Infrastructure Minister Ric McIver, who hasn’t revealed if he will consider running for the PC leadership, agrees the issue is worth another look if it’s not sitting right with Albertans.

“I think we need to remember we are serving the people of Alberta and we need to have standards in place that meet what is acceptable to Albertans and in situations like this that don’t meet the public’s expectations we need to talk about how to address that,” he said.

“It’s certainly worth a look to me through the lens of everyday Albertans and that’s the lens we have to try to look at all situations.”

Redford’s former Chief of Staff Farouk Adatia took home $316,274 in severance plus $50,603 and vacation pay of $38,916.

Former federal Conservative MP Lee Richardson received $199,835 in severance, along with $31,973 in lieu of benefits and $32,593 for vacation.

Communications Director Stefan Baranski and Hunter Wight, Executive Director of Redford’s Southern Alberta office, received $103,914 in severance and $16,626 in lieu of benefits.

Baranski got $15,581 in vacation pay while Wight got $6,600.

A spokesman for Premier Dave Hancock’s office has said the compensation question is a difficult one and the right balance has to be struck between what it takes to attract talent and being responsible of taxpayer money.

katie.schneider@sunmedia.ca

On Twitter: @SUNKSchneider