TORONTO - Premier Dalton McGuinty was forced Wednesday to defend a so-called "restraint" package that includes a pay raise for politicians amid intense criticism that the "meaningless" measures show the Liberal government isn't committed to curbing spending.
The plan -- which limits salary increases to 1.5 per cent and means a raise of $3,000 a year for the premier -- incensed Opposition Leader Bob Runciman.
"This isn't tightening your belt in tough economic times," Runciman said in the legislature. "You're clearly not committed to getting your spending under control."
He cited the spending habits of a Liberal appointee, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board president Jill Hutcheon, who last year drew a salary of $360,000 plus an extra $123,000 as deputy labour minister.
At the same time, Hutcheon spent almost $7,000 in taxpayer dollars on a two-day conference in New York in April. During the conference, she stayed at one of the most expensive hotels in the city, the Waldorf Astoria.
She also charged $300 to have her car cleaned and detailed in March, and racked up more than $2,000 in meals last year -- all on the taxpayers' dime, Runciman said.
"When we're looking for symbolism, Ms. Hutcheon can be the poster girl for the extravagances of this Liberal government," Runciman said.
New Democrat Leader Howard Hampton repeatedly questioned the appropriateness of McGuinty's $3,000 pay increase while hundreds of workers are losing their jobs.
"The premier was so challenged, he gave himself a $3,000 pay increase on top of the 40 per cent pay increase he's given himself over the last 19 months," Hampton said.
"Obviously, Premier, you can't be too challenged when you can find that kind of money for those kinds of pay increases for yourself and every other MPP."
McGuinty defended the measures, saying he was taking his cues from the federal government.
"We've tied our pay into their regime, only we take 25 per cent less and we don't have a pension," McGuinty said.
"They came forward with 1.5 per cent, which I thought was appropriate for us as well."
The government always said the measures would be "symbolic in nature in terms of how little money that it actually generates," he added.
"Symbolic is the right word," Hampton said.
"When the premier gives himself a $3,000-a-year pay increase and says, `I'm engaging in restraint,' I think people don't know whether to laugh or cry because it is just completely absurd."
The measures, which include a hiring freeze on full-time workers in the public service, are expected to save the province about $500,000 a year.
The Liberals are "strongly" encouraging the broader public service, which includes government-run agencies, to cap pay hikes at 1.5 per cent for about 1,700 employees who earn more than $150,000.
The plan was announced Tuesday, two days before the government releases its long-awaited poverty strategy -- a plan McGuinty admitted Wednesday won't be as significant as he would have liked because of economic troubles.
The average salary in the public sector of $60,656 is 13 per cent or $7,000 higher than the comparable private sector wage of $53,682, without including benefits like pensions and insurance, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
There are currently 68,645 full-time equivalent employees in Ontario's public service.
