Severance payments to political staff following last year’s Manitoba election have reached about $1.7 million, government figures show — and that does not include an undisclosed payout to the former chief executive officer of Manitoba Hydro.
Large-scale staff turnover is a regular occurrence after elections that lead to a government changing hands. The Manitoba election on Oct. 3, which saw the NDP end seven years of Progressive Conservative rule, was no exception.
Unlike civil servants, political staff — ministerial chiefs of staff, policy advisers, cabinet press secretaries, and more — are expected to be politically aligned with the party in power. Their employment comes and goes with changes in government.
Many received less than $10,000, with a few receiving more than $50,000. One of the largest payments — $146,000 — went to a longtime Progressive Conservative who worked for caucus before the Tory election win in 2016 and rose to become chief of staff.
with files from the Canadian Press
