Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 08, 2012, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE A17 winnipegfreepress. com CANADA WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 2012 A 17 1425 Ellice Ave. 783- 8500 Monday - Friday 10 am - 9 pm, Saturday 10 am - 6 pm, Sunday 12 pm - 5 pm www. lazboy. com/ winnipeg La- Z- Boy is the official furniture provider of Ronald McDonald House Charities � Experience the comfort La- Z- Boy Home Theater Expedited delivery on in- stock items * On purchases over $ 899. Excludes Inventory Overstock clearance, World's Greatest Reclining Sale and Red Hot Buys. 8 5 S O F A S , S E C T I O N A L S , C H A I R S & A WH O L E L O T M O R E . Your inner bargain hunter won't believe all the choices. There's nothing like a Weekend Sale at La- Z- Boy Furniture Galleries to bring out your inner bargain hunter. The sofas. the chairs. the sectionals. Oh my! You'll find the selection you're looking for and incredible deals on everything you want. Like amazing savings on a surprising range of home furnishings and more tables, lamps and accessories than you ever imagined. With so much to choose from, it's all about the thrill of the hunt. THE WEEKEND SALE only days WE PAY THE TAXES NO GST OR PST * 3 FRIDAY, SATURDAY & SUNDAY ONLY! O TTAWA - The federal government paid $ 1.2 billion in voluntary severance last fiscal year to 91,613 public servants who either remain in their jobs, retired or quit on their own - a perk unheard of by most Canadian taxpayers who are footing the bill. Business groups and spending watchdogs say the voluntary payouts are both " staggering" and " outrageous," considering Canadians in the private sector are generally only paid severance when they lose their job, not if they continue working or leave on their own. All told, taxpayers are on the hook for more than $ 1.5 billion in regular and voluntary severance to 102,589 public servants in 2011- 12, according to new federal numbers obtained by Postmedia News. The total severance payout includes the $ 1.2 billion to more than 90,000 employees who voluntarily requested the payments, as well as additional cash for those who received regular severance benefits ( payment upon termination of employment regardless of circumstances), according to Public Works and Government Services, the department responsible for the payments. The numbers include payments to federal departments, agencies and most Crown corporations. The government is projecting it will spend at least another $ 850 million in the current 2012- 13 fiscal year on accumulated severance payouts, including for resignation and retirement, owed to federal employees as per collective agreements signed by successive governments over several years. The Conservative government, as of October 2010, halted the accumulation of severance benefits for resignations and retirements, but is renegotiating a number of collective agreements with public- sector unions to cover what is already owed. " It's outrageous. If taxpayers knew what is contained in federal union contracts, we'd have a rebellion on our hands," said Gregory Thomas, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. Along with the more than $ 2 billion needed to cover the severance expenses for 2011- 12 and 2012- 13, the government also has earmarked $ 900 million to cover " workforce adjustment" payments owed to thousands of employees who will be laid off due to federal budget cuts. More than two dozen collective agreements signed by the federal government and public- sector unions allowed, up to October 2010, for the accumulation of severance to be paid to employees for resignations, retirements, layoffs and other reasons. The Conservative government is settling the 27 collective agreements that allowed for the accumulation and voluntary payout of severance, while eliminating the perk going forward. To date, the government and unions have settled nine of the 27 contracts, covering more than 100,000 of the 212,000 employees in the core public administration. Yet hundreds of thousands of core public servants who accumulated the benefits are allowed to voluntarily cash out the severance while they remain in their jobs. They also can wait until they resign or retire to collect the cash, or receive some of it now and the remainder when leaving the public service. Of the 91,613 workers who took the voluntary severance payout last fiscal year, 92 per cent chose to receive the full accumulated amount they're owed rather than taking part of it now and the rest when they leave the civil service, according to Public Works and Government Services. A spokesman for Treasury Board President Tony Clement said the government has moved to eliminate the perk because it recognized that paying severance to people voluntarily leaving their jobs was costly and a tough pill for taxpayers to swallow. - Postmedia News $ 1.5 billion The cost of voluntary or regular severance payments paid to 102,589 federal public servants in the 2011- 12 fiscal year $ 1.2 billion The amount paid to 91,613 employees who opted to receive the voluntary severance liquidation payment 92 Approximate percentage of employees receiving voluntarily requested severance who took the full amount rather than accepting a partial payment now before leaving the public service. - Source: Public Works and Government Services Canada OTTAWA - The Ontario MP who normally leads the Conservative defence against accusations of dirty electoral tricks found himself on the defensive Thursday as opposition critics called on Dean Del Mastro to step down as the prime minister's right- hand man. Elections Canada is looking into whether Del Mastro, who represents Peterborough, Ont., broke election spending laws in connection with voter- contact calls made by his campaign in 2008. But despite repeated demands from the opposition benches to step down as parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Del Mastro insisted he's always served with " integrity and conviction" and has done nothing wrong. " My statements that were provided in 2008, some four years ago, accurately reflect all expenditures incurred by both the campaign and my association," Del Mastro told the House. " Anything that I paid on their behalf was refunded to me." The Ottawa Citizen and Postmedia News cited court documents Wednesday that show Elections Canada is investigating Del Mastro for allegedly breaching the spending limit for his 2008 election campaign by more than $ 17,000. That would include $ 21,000 for election expenses, paid for with a cheque drawn on Del Mastro's personal bank account - a sum that would exceed the $ 2,100 contribution limit for candidates if it were proven to be a personal contribution. None of the allegations have been proved in court, and Elections Canada refused Thursday to confirm or deny whether an investigation was ongoing. Del Mastro said he hasn't been contacted by Elections Canada and hasn't been able to look at the court documents - he was told by court officials the documents are " sealed." " I will have more to come forward with on this matter very soon, but I've got to pull all these records together," he said. " I don't walk around with statements and cheques from 2008 in my back pocket." Del Mastro has been the main Conservative point man in defending the party against allegations of voter suppression in one Ontario riding during the 2011 campaign. NDP ethics critic Charlie Angus said he's known Del Mastro for years and has no desire to see him punished, calling him a good parliamentarian. But he said Del Mastro has lost his credibility as the point man on the Elections Canada file and needs to step aside. " This isn't about his guilt or his innocence," Angus said after question period. " This is about him being compromised in his role." But Del Mastro said he hasn't been charged with anything. " I haven't even been contacted, so maybe they'd also like me to walk the plank with steel plates around my ankles," he told CTV. - The Canadian Press Civil servants collect severance, stay on job By Jason Fekete Point man on dirty tricks denies breach of election law Tory MP Del Mastro under fire By Stephanie Levitz ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS Dean Del Mastro says he obeyed election spending limit. A_ 17_ Jun- 08- 12_ FP_ 01. indd A17 6/ 7/ 12 9: 59: 32 PM ;