Right To Know

There is nothing wrong and everything right with the public being able to access information that will inform it of the salaries paid to public figures out of tax dollars. Because they are public figures, and most certainly because their employment is meant to serve the public in one way or another, and for these services they are remunerated out of tax-paid dollars, it should be seen as the public's right to know.

That a Conservative Member of Parliament has tabled a request that the salaries paid to top CBC on-air personalities is reasonable enough. Why should we not have that information made available to us? But why stop there? And although the New Democrats are up to their usual mischief when they counter such a request with one that would have disclosure of pay for senior staff in the PMO, that too is a good idea.

It does represent a matter of public curiosity salved, to have that information available for those who would like to be aware of it. Salary figures paid to such media luminaries as news anchor Peter Mansbridge and comedian Rick Mercer. In fact, why not list everyone and anyone whose employment gains them over $100,000 yearly in recompense?

The Province of Ontario has disclosed those names and figures for quite a while. The sky hasn't fallen in, although there are those among the tax-paying public who now know how much CTV employees earn, and Ontario Hydro employees, the Ontario Provincial Police, and other provincially-paid staff. And look skeptically askance at the results.

The request from NDP MP Tyrone Benskin is reasonable enough:

"The employment agreements with each of these individuals in terms of (i) salary, (ii) vehicle allowance or provision of car and/or driver, (iii) expense account for food, drink, alcohol and hospitality, (iv) out-of-town accommodations for the individual; (b) in each of the years between 200 and 2011, how much did each of these individuals expense for (i) food, (ii) travel, (iii) hotels, (iv) hospitality, (v) drink, (vi) vehicle use."

Pranks aside, which the NDP are notorious about practising, it makes good sense for all these details to be available at a special online site where the curious and the seriously investigative could readily have access to such data. It's called public accountability.