Senior bureaucrats in Housing Minister Gregor Robertson’s department received more than $2.1 million in bonuses last year, with payouts averaging nearly $20,000 per executive as Canadians continued to struggle with housing affordability.Blacklock's Reporter says government records show 90% of the department’s 109 executives received performance bonuses, with total payments reaching $2,134,907.The payouts worked out to an average of $19,586 across all 109 executives, according to a departmental memo prepared for Robertson.The May 25 memo, titled Executive Compensation, defended the bonuses, arguing the high proportion of executives receiving additional compensation reflected the federal government’s emphasis on housing.“The higher proportion of bonuses can be reasonably linked to the housing portfolio being a Government of Canada priority,” the memo said.“The Department of Housing’s work is critical to Canadians. Average total expenditures for performance pay among executives aligns with government-wide norms.”The department maintained the payments were based on individual performance and were not guaranteed.“The scale and distribution of payouts do not suggest bonuses have become entitlements as executives must meet clear performance commitments each year,” the memo said.“Eligibility is not automatic and spending caps and strict assessment criteria ensure payments remain tied to demonstrated results.”The bonuses come as the federal government faces mounting pressure over housing affordability and its spending priorities.Across the federal public service, executive performance bonuses cost taxpayers an estimated $146.3 million last year, according to Treasury Board figures..The payments continued despite promises from Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne to rein in federal spending.“We have been very clear that we needed to put the house in order and I think Canadians expect that,” Champagne told the Senate national finance committee during March 10 testimony.“I mean, Canadians have been tightening their belt for quite some time. They expect the federal government to do the same.”Treasury Board officials defended the bonus system in a March 20 memo titled Comprehensive Expenditure Review, describing performance pay as an established part of executive compensation.“Performance pay is a common component of executive compensation in private and public sector organizations,” the memo said.Asked whether bonuses were appropriate while Ottawa was attempting to reduce spending, the Treasury Board argued the payments were intended to encourage accountability.“Performance pay is a longstanding component of executive compensation designed to support accountability and results,” it said.The Treasury Board reported federal executives received performance payments averaging 10.7% of their salaries, compared with what it claimed was an average of 19.7% for executives in other Canadian public and private sector organizations.However, the department did not identify the source of its comparison figures.Despite insisting the payments were not automatic, Treasury Board records showed approximately 98% of federal executives received performance bonuses last year.The housing department’s own memo acknowledged concerns that the widespread payments could undermine claims they were based on exceptional performance.The document noted skepticism that “the payouts appear so widespread that they may function more like routine entitlements than rewards tied to actual performance, especially in a context of budget pressures and job cuts.”Nevertheless, officials maintained the compensation system was justified and that executives were required to meet established performance targets before receiving additional pay.The records did not detail which specific housing outcomes were achieved by executives who received the bonuses.
