The federal government approved a massive jump in the number of executives earning more than $150,000 last year, even as ministers publicly acknowledged Canadians were struggling with affordability.Blacklock's Reporter says newly tabled records show cabinet signed off on an 84% increase in the number of federal public servants earning above the $150,000 threshold. The data was released through an Inquiry of Ministry after Conservative MP Vincent Ho asked how many federal employees now fall into the top pay brackets.According to the Treasury Board, the number of managers earning between $150,000 and $199,999 surged from 7,201 to 12,971 — an 80% jump. Executives earning more than $200,000 rose 16%, from 860 to 994 employees, while those paid more than $250,000 nearly tripled from 88 to 220..The number of executives receiving more than $300,000 climbed to 82, up 44% from the previous year’s 57. Three federal managers collected salaries above $400,000, compared to one the year before. Six employees received total annual compensation packages exceeding $500,000, though none were named.Overall, federal executives with six-figure salaries grew from 8,207 to 14,270 — a 74% increase in a single year.The pay hikes coincided with then-finance minister Chrystia Freeland’s repeated acknowledgments that Canadians were facing severe financial pressure.“We know these are hard times for Canadians,” Freeland told reporters on June 25, 2024. “We know we have to work hard to earn back their trust.”Internal Privy Council research published that same year found widespread skepticism about the government’s commitment to ordinary families. Canadians told federal researchers that life had become “considerably less affordable,” and while most still identified as middle class, many said the term no longer reflected financial comfort but instead a struggle to stay afloat and avoid debt.The Treasury Board noted judges were excluded from the salary counts.
