Publish salaries, but no names say N.L. teachers as union prepares court challenge

A Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers Association lawyer says the group doesn't want the names of its members published on a list of all public employees and their pay.

"The positionof theNLTAis that they have no problem with thedisclosureof salaries, as well as the listing of positions, but basically they feel that the disclosure of names is prohibited under the [Access to Information] Act and actually serves no benefit," said Tommy Williams.

"The public has a right to know where their tax dollars are being spent and in what positions but the fact whether it's Missus Jones that is receiving $110,000 salary or Mr. Smith just doesn't seem to be in the public's interest perse."

Williams says the NLTA is preparing tofilean application asking the courts to stop the release of names.

The application is being made in response to a media outlet's access to informationrequest for the names and pay of all NLTA members making more than $100,000.

Williams says the association believes the access to information law should be interpreted to allow only the salaries and positions of NLTAmembers.

That'sdifferent fromthe Information and PrivacyCommissioner's interpretation.

"If you're a public servant and you're paid from the public purse then the expectation is and the legislation supports that your identity plus your compensation will be made available upon request," said Ed Ring.

Still 'work to be done'

TheNewfoundland and Labrador government is considering releasing remunerationinformation for all provincial employees.

That would go further than the so-called "Sunshine List" the previous Tory government promised to publish.

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The minister responsible for public engagement, Siobhan Coady, said there's still work to be done.

"Whether there's a cutoff or line is one of the things we have to consider, as to whether or not it's $100,000 or whether or not we put anybody who's on salary with the provincial government, to have their information available," said Coady.

Last year, Steve Kent, then minister in charge of public engagement, said all government departments, along with Crown corporations and agencies, would have to put out a public list of any salaries above $100,000.

Similar lists are published in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.

The new transparency law brought in last year to replace Bill 29allows the disclosure of any salary for anyone receiving public money, no matter how much they make. The published list would also include names.

"The law does not differentiate," said Ring, the information and privacy commissioner.

Making information easier to access

Presently, accessing salary details would mean filing an access-to-information request.

What government is now considering is whether to proactively put that information online in a searchable database, rather than requiringa formal request for it.

The previous government promised to have the list out by April 1, but Coady acknowledges thatsalary disclosure has taken a backseat to the budget process.

With the budget due out next week, Coady said she will turn her attention to what form salary disclosure should take.