Poor Premier MacDonald
If there’s such a thing as ‘premier envy’, Nova Scotia’s new leader, Rodney MacDonald, is probably suffering from it.
Why wouldn’t he? After taking a look at what other provinces pay their premiers.
In his new job, Premier MacDonald is, beyond doubt, the poor cousin of Canada’s First Ministers. With a paltry salary of just a bit more than $105,000, the Nova Scotia premier might well be forgiven if he looks enviously at his counterparts’ wallets as he joins them for negotiations.
Premier MacDonald probably can understand why he is getting less money than the leaders of those ‘big’ provinces such as Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. After all, no manager of a small ‘mom and pop’ convenience store expects the same salary as the guy who runs the Wal-Mart down the street. (An assertion that might merit more investigation).
But Premier MacDonald must wonder about New Brunswick’s Bernard Lord, Canada’s highest paid provincial premier. With a whopping salary of $191,458. Almost twice Rodney’s pay.
Of course, Premier Lord’s money doesn’t all come from New Brunswick’s treasury. $75,862 comes from the provincial Progressive Conservative Party. That’s Mr. Lord’s salary as party leader, money that comes from donors who receive tax-deductible receipts for the money they pay directly to the party. As far as the provincial treasury is concerned, it’s not public money.
Mr. MacDonald might be able to justify the disparity by remembering that he is the leader of a minority government in a very small province. Except that Mr. Lord also leads a minority in an equally small (less in population) province.
“Well, Nova Scotians are poor,” Mr. MacDonald might rationalize. “They can’t afford to pay much.” New Brunswick is statistically a bit more impoverished.
“It must be Bernard’s image,” the soul searching Mr. MacDonald might continue. “After all, he’s been a politician, a lawyer, and a used-car salesman, three of the professions Canadians most love to hate. What have I done, except be a musician before running for office?”
Premier MacDonald, it’s obviously time to stop fiddling around! Get yourself a better-paying job!
Salaries of Canada's Provincial Premiers - Source: CBC News
Bernard Lord, New Brunswick $191,458
Jean Charest, Quebec $175,361
Danny Williams, Newfoundland and Labrador $163,252
Dalton McGuinty, Ontario $152,835
Gordon Campbell, British Columbia $146,000
Ralph Klein, Alberta $135,420
Lorne Calvert, Saskatchewan $135,420
Gary Doer, Manitoba $113,500
Pat Binns, Prince Edward Island $107,237
Rodney MacDonald, Nova Scotia $105,621
Why wouldn’t he? After taking a look at what other provinces pay their premiers.
In his new job, Premier MacDonald is, beyond doubt, the poor cousin of Canada’s First Ministers. With a paltry salary of just a bit more than $105,000, the Nova Scotia premier might well be forgiven if he looks enviously at his counterparts’ wallets as he joins them for negotiations.
Premier MacDonald probably can understand why he is getting less money than the leaders of those ‘big’ provinces such as Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. After all, no manager of a small ‘mom and pop’ convenience store expects the same salary as the guy who runs the Wal-Mart down the street. (An assertion that might merit more investigation).
But Premier MacDonald must wonder about New Brunswick’s Bernard Lord, Canada’s highest paid provincial premier. With a whopping salary of $191,458. Almost twice Rodney’s pay.
Of course, Premier Lord’s money doesn’t all come from New Brunswick’s treasury. $75,862 comes from the provincial Progressive Conservative Party. That’s Mr. Lord’s salary as party leader, money that comes from donors who receive tax-deductible receipts for the money they pay directly to the party. As far as the provincial treasury is concerned, it’s not public money.
Mr. MacDonald might be able to justify the disparity by remembering that he is the leader of a minority government in a very small province. Except that Mr. Lord also leads a minority in an equally small (less in population) province.
“Well, Nova Scotians are poor,” Mr. MacDonald might rationalize. “They can’t afford to pay much.” New Brunswick is statistically a bit more impoverished.
“It must be Bernard’s image,” the soul searching Mr. MacDonald might continue. “After all, he’s been a politician, a lawyer, and a used-car salesman, three of the professions Canadians most love to hate. What have I done, except be a musician before running for office?”
Premier MacDonald, it’s obviously time to stop fiddling around! Get yourself a better-paying job!
Salaries of Canada's Provincial Premiers - Source: CBC News
Bernard Lord, New Brunswick $191,458
Jean Charest, Quebec $175,361
Danny Williams, Newfoundland and Labrador $163,252
Dalton McGuinty, Ontario $152,835
Gordon Campbell, British Columbia $146,000
Ralph Klein, Alberta $135,420
Lorne Calvert, Saskatchewan $135,420
Gary Doer, Manitoba $113,500
Pat Binns, Prince Edward Island $107,237
Rodney MacDonald, Nova Scotia $105,621
posted by John Steeves Reports at
10:02 AM
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