Rich payouts show health minister failed to protect public health care dollars: NDP
Queen’s Park – London-Fanshawe MPP Teresa Armstrong said the McGuinty Liberals failed to protect public health care dollars by allowing extravagant severance packages to be paid to health care executives in the first place. Armstrong renewed New Democrats’ call to cap public sector CEO pay.
“The Minister of Health failed London families by ensuring health care dollars go to frontline workers, not line the pockets of hospital executives,” said Armstrong. “It’s either a case of wilful ignorance or botched oversight. The Health Minister can pretend to be outraged, but this is happening in her own backyard. Where’s the oversight?” asked Armstrong.
Reports today indicate Cliff Nordal, former CEO of London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Health Care, raked in $1.17 million bonus on top of his $800,000-plus salary.
Armstrong noted that sadly, big severance packages for hospital executives aren’t new to Ontario. One London health care executive received a $451,000 severance package after being dismissed for handing out untendered contracts, while $300,000 was given to a dismissed Windsor health care executive.
Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath renewed her party’s call for a cap on public sector CEO salaries at twice the premier’s salary.
“When patients are coping with closed ERs and growing wait times, there’s no way to justify spending scarce health dollars on private clubs and million dollar bonuses,” said Horwath. “It’s time to start protecting our health care dollars with a hard cap on hospital CEO salaries.”
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