Government salary details no longer published with budget

Finance Minister Tom Marshall says the salaries of bureaucrats and officials within government departments will no longer be made public as part of the annual budget documents, but should soon be made available online.

Marshall told the house of assembly Wednesday there's no need to publish the salary information anymore.

"That particular document is not linked to any of the public accounts or the public statements of the government of Newfoundland and Labrador," Marshall said.

"If the information is required, it will certainly be made available, but it was felt in view of the fact that it is not linked to the public statements, there was really no need to publish it."

Opposition Liberal Leader Dwight Ball doesn't understand the decision. He says the document has been available to the public for more than 40 years.

"This document contained details of every part-time and full-time job within the department, along with the salary range, and this is a critical document used for tracking and comparing government payroll and costs," Ball said.

While it won't be released as an official document, Marshall says salary information would be available to anyone who wants it.

Late Wednesday, after CBC News requested the document, a spokesperson for his office saidthe information would be available online within a few days.