Proposed severance packages for Alberta MLAs If the Alberta government approves the recommendations of the all-party Member Services Committee, MLAs who retire or are defeated in 2005 would receive severance packages as per the following list. If the recommendations are approved, MLAs will receive three months’ pay for every year of service after March of 1989, based on the average of the three highest-paid years. Premier Ralph Klein $529,680 Opposition Leader Ken Nicol $356,112 ND Leader Raj Pannu $136,656 Speaker Ken Kowalski $474,816 Cabinet Ministers first elected in 1989 $474,816 Shirley McClellan Deputy Premier and Minister of Agriculture Pat Nelson Finance Halvar Jonson International and Intergovernmental Relations Ty Lund Infrastructure Stan Woloshyn Seniors Mike Cardinal Sustainable Resource Development Pearl Calahasen Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Cabinet Ministers first elected in 1993 $356,112 Gary Mar Health and Wellness Murray Smith Energy Ed Stelmach Transportation Clint Dunford Human Resources and Employment Lyle Oberg Learning Lorne Taylor Environment Gene Zwozdesky Community Development Victor Doerksen Innovation and Science Heather Forsyth Solicitor General Cabinet Ministers first elected in 1997 $237,408 Iris Evans Children’s Services David Hancock Justice and Attorney General Ron Stevens Gaming Greg Melchin Revenue Guy Boutilier Municipal Affairs David Coutts Government Services Cabinet Ministers first elected in 2001 $118,704 Mark Norris Economic Development Total severance pay for all 24 cabinet members: $8,601,552 1 Don Tannas $374,064 Deputy Speaker Gary Friedel $280,548 Chair, Law and Regulation Committee Robert Fischer $273,312 (first elected in 1982; this figure is for post-1989 service only) Hung Pham $242,784 Deputy Chair, Public Affairs Committee Denis Herard $242,784 Deputy Chair, Law and Regulation Committee Richard Magnus $242,784 Deputy Chair, Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund Standing Committee Shiraz Shariff $242,784 Deputy Chair, Public Accounts Committee Debby Carlson $237,132 Official Opposition House Leader Carol Haley $230,688 Chief Government Whip Barry McFarland $222,066 (first elected in 1992 by-election) Moe Amery $204,984 Yvonne Fritz $204,984 Judy Gordon $204,984 Mark Hlady $204,984 Rob Renner $204,984 Julius Yankowski $204,984 Don Massey $204,984 Liberal; sits on the all-party Member Services Committee Marlene Graham $187,032 Chair, Private Bills Committee Albert Klapstein $187,032 Chair, Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing Committee Ivan Strang $187,032 Chair, Public Affairs Committee Janis Tarchuk $187,032 Chair, Public Affairs Committee Hugh MacDonald $187,032 Chair, Public Accounts Committee Denis Ducharme $174,696 Assistant Government Whip; Deputy Chair, Legislative Offices Cmttee LeRoy Johnson $161,856 Deputy Chair, Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing Karen Kryczka $161,856 Deputy Chair, Private Bills Committee Laurie Blakeman $149,496 Chief Opposition Whip Bill Bonner $147,360 Assistant Opposition Whip Dave Broda $136,656 Wayne Cao $136,656 Rob Lougheed $136,656 Richard Marz $136,656 Mary O’Neill $136,656 Drew Hutton $93,516 Chair, Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund Standing Committee Brian Mason $81,140 (elected in June 2000 by-election) Mary Anne Jablonski $76,869 (elected in September 2000 by-election) Tony Abbott $68,328 Cindy Ady $68,328 Harvey Cenaiko $68,328 Ray Danyluk $68,328 Alana DeLong $68,328 Hector Goudreau $68,328 Gordon Graydon $68,328 Doug Horner $68,328 Broyce Jacobs $68,328 Mel Knight $68,328 Jon Lord $68,328 Thomas Lukaszuk $68,328 Bob Maskell $68,328 2 Gary Masyk $68,328 Ian McClelland $68,328 Luke Ouellette $68,328 Brent Rathgeber $68,328 Lloyd Snelgrove $68,328 George Vanderburg $68,328 Tony Vandermeer $68,328 Kevin Taft $68,328 Total severance pay for all 83 MLAs: $17,693,087 If the next provincial election were held on March 20, 2005, and if all 83 MLAs retired or were defeated, Alberta taxpayers would be on the hook for $17,693,087 in severance pay for these 83 individuals – an average of $213,170 per MLA. These numbers are based on the MLA’s total compensation, including $41,052 salary, $20,526 tax-free allowance, the proposed new “RRSP allowance” of $6,750, and the additional indemnities for Premier ($64,092), Speaker ($50,376), Cabinet Minister ($50,376), Chief Government Whip ($8,568), Assistant Government Whip ($6,420), Deputy Speaker ($25,188), Leader of the Official Opposition ($50,376), Official Opposition House Leader ($10,716), Chief Opposition Whip ($6,420), Assistant Opposition Whip ($5,352), Committee Chair ($25,188), and Committee Deputy Chair ($12,600). 3.