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2010 Apr 15 (Thu)

Health Services Executive Bonuses

Kevin encourages the Minister of Health and Wellness, Mr. Zwozdesky, to put an end to performance bonuses in Alberta Health Services.

 

722 Alberta Hansard Tuesday April 13, 2010

Dr. Taft: Thanks, Mr. Speaker. On October 26, 2009, the former Minister of Health and Wellness addressed the Public Accounts Committee, and he said: “Under the new model that the board chair [of Alberta Health Services] outlined earlier, the board is responsible for hiring, but the final sign-off comes through my office. So I guess it’s joint, but the final signature is [the minister’s.]” My question is to the Minister of Health and Wellness. Will he exercise his authority as minister and refuse to sign any contracts that have performance bonuses in Alberta Health Services?

Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, the bonus arrangement that may be in place between the CEO and the president of Alberta Health Services is between him and the board. If there are performance bonuses, and I suspect there are, with executive vice-presidents or senior vice-presidents, that’s a matter of those vice-presidents and the CEO. What I can tell you is that there are very specific performance measures that are in place right now that deal with increasing access, shortening wait times, and providing Albertans with the outstanding health care excellence that they are accustomed to receiving.

Dr. Taft: Well, how are those performance measures working so far, Mr. Minister? Why is the salary of the Deputy Minister of Health and Wellness frozen, and why is that bonus frozen but this minister still allowing the senior executives of Alberta Health Services to have a bonus? Why the double standard?

Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, it’s true that bonuses are frozen for senior members of the government. Alberta Health Services is, of course, an arm’s-length organization. They operate very much with their own scenarios, and they’re doing a pretty good job of handling some very difficult and challenging circumstances. However, the important thing is that there is greater certainty today, that there is more stability, that there is greater predictability, and the five-year funding plan coming forward will ensure it.

Dr. Taft: Mr. Speaker, this is the minister who boasted about being hands on and getting in there, and we know he’s meddled and interfered and stepped into all kinds of decisions. Will he do the right thing and end this distorting system of bonuses that get paid to one very select, already incredibly wealthy section of the public service? Bring it to an end. Do the right thing.

Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, I’ve indicated before and I want to stress this again: you have to engage the best people you can possibly find when you’re administering about a $10 billion operational budget comprised of taxpayer dollars, when you’re managing over 400 health care related facilities and you have a workforce totalling approximately 90,000 people. Those people are working very hard, and so too are these top-level managers.

 

 

Date: Thu Apr 15 22:57:09 MDT 2010 Author: Rebecca IP: 68.149.137.22