Here's how many B.C. government workers got pandemic pay raises, and how much it cost taxpayers, according to a report
A just-released report suggests taxpayers in British Columbia spent millions more during the pandemic on raises for government workers.
According to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, 33,336 B.C. government workers got raises in 2020, at a cost of approximately $69 million.
In 2021, 28,972 got a pay boost, to the tune of about $47 million. In total, $116,095,813 went to paying workers more over the two-year period, the report from the fiscally-conservative non-profit says.
The data provided by the CTF suggests B.C. was among the provinces giving out the most raises in the last two years, following Ontario (64,958 employees) and Quebec (42,149).
Federally, nearly 313,000 government workers made more during the pandemic. Altogether, the data obtained by the CTF via Freedom of Information Act request suggested 528,347 government workers at the federal and provincial levels got raises.
In a news release Monday, B.C. director for the CTF Kris Sims pointed out many non-government workers took a pay cut, lost their job or saw their business severely impacted during the same time.
"It's unfair to ask them to pay higher taxes so bureaucrats and politicians can get a pay hike," Sims said.
The report from the not-for-profit agency that looks to reduce taxes by cutting government spending said Statistics Canada data shows that in addition to the pay raises, 306,800 more government jobs were added across Canada since the start of the pandemic.
It was not clear which sectors saw increases in headcount and salary, but the pandemic has likely created more work at the government level in areas including health care.
Prior to the pandemic, daily updates from the Health Ministry were not the norm, and several other events have occurred in that two-year span, including unprecedented heat, devastating floods and an escalating opioid crisis.
Still, it's easy to see why some would feel frustrated, especially small business owners who've been drastically impacted by public health restrictions associated with the pandemic.
Tax changes coming into effect in 2022 are likely unwelcome news for many who've struggled to make ends meet, including that those making $40,000 or more this year who will see more of their income deducted federally.
The B.C. government will be increasing its carbon tax later this year, meaning it'll cost more to drive and to heat residents' homes. Federally, the Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance tax each cost more, and alcohol taxes are set to go up in April.
In addition, many municipal governments are hiking property taxes, including in Vancouver where the city's new budget includes a higher-than-proposed 6.35 per cent increase.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.