NDP MPP Gilles Bisson’s PMB to cap executive salaries fails to pass second reading

NDP MPP Gilles Bisson’s Private Member’s Bill Capping Top Public Sector Salaries Act failed to pass its second reading in the legislature this afternoon. The bill sought to cap salaries in the public sector that exceed twice that of the Premier’s – currently $209,000 per year.
Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath introduced similar bills in 2010 and 2013, both times the Liberals voted against them. The Ontario Liberals have come under fire in recent months due to skyrocketing salaries for executives at Hydro One – the incoming CEO is expected to make a salary in excess of $4 million per year. Executive salaries at community care access centres increased by 27 per cent over the last four years and most executives at the Pan Am Games are expected to receive performance bonuses that would double their salaries.

“The Liberals have been telling Ontarians that we need to sell Hydro One in order to generate money for infrastructure as part of its austerity message, yet continues to spend millions more than other provinces do to compensate public sector executives doing similar jobs to their counterparts,” Bisson said.

In 2014, approximately 200 executives who made the Sunshine List had rates of pay in greater excess than twice the Premier’s. Several of those executives made over three times that of the Premier’s. 

“They removed all oversight over Hydro One, so that the incoming CEO can expect to make over four million dollars a year. This government simply doesn’t care to control these costs and cap skyrocketing compensation for CEOs. Maybe because many of these executives, like at Pan Am, are well-connected to this government,“ Bisson said.