BC government rewards public service executives’ ‘performance’ – while children and families languish on waitlists

Is this how our $2.9 billion surplus should be spent?

The BC Association of Social Workers commends the provincial government for moving toward more transparency and openness with the full disclosure of the detailed compensation packages afforded to senior executives in the BC government, health authorities, education sector, Crown corporations and agencies.

We see that the combined salaries of the five executives of Community Living BC (CLBC) surpassed $900,000 in 2007/08. We note with alarm that four out of five senior executives received incentive bonuses. We would like to know exactly what work these executives have done to earn these “incentives” in light of the serious and chronic crisis in service provision that confronts children, youth and families dealing with developmental challenges, an issue that has been well documented in the media and by community living and child welfare communities. We believe it is in the public’s interest and those of the thousands of children, youth and families who have been refused services by CLBC to publicly report on what they have done to earn these incentives, since they are tied to performance of these executives.

Further to this, we consider it highly inappropriate for senior executives in the social service sector and direct government to be rewarded with bonuses when this money would be much better utilized in funding adequate staffing levels of social workers and other frontline workers who provide crucial services to the public.

We now call on the BC government to continue their commitment to transparency, accountability and openness by disclosing the complete and detailed compensation packages offered to BC government Cabinet Ministers, Assistant Deputy Ministers and top senior executives in each Ministry. We look forward to learning what compensation our elected leaders and senior executives in the BC government make in the course of their service to the public and citizens of British Columbia.

Since the BC government has a healthy budget surplus of $2.5 billion, we respectfully suggest that the Province use some of these funds to provide housing to the thousands of individuals who have found themselves homeless and disqualified from accessing income assistance over the past seven years. They should also immediately provide additional funding to BC’s child welfare system so that it will not continue to experience the kind of severe crisis it has over the same period of time.

BC leads the country in child poverty for the fifth year in a row. With a surplus of that magnitude, the BC government can immediately improve the lives and wellbeing of BC's children, youth and families. If we have the money to pay high salaries and perks for senior executives of the public sector, shouldn't we have the money for our children? A society and a government's commitment to caring for its most vulnerable citizens is the strongest indicator of who is valued and who is not. The BCASW believes that all individuals and families, and all social service professional and community sector workers are of value and deserve much better treatment from government.