Premier Alison Redford announced a new expense disclosure policy recently, which provides more transparency than any other province in Canada.
The new requirements will provide more detail on travel, accommodations, meal and hospitality expenses. These changes will apply to ministers, associate ministers, chiefs of staff, press secretaries and support staff, members of government caucus, senior officials by an order in council, deputy ministers and all public service employees.
It is intended that not only the above roles and provincial government follow the transparency policy but also boards and municipal governments.
Northern Lights School Division (NLSD) Superintendent Roger Nippard suggested the school board follow suit.
“It's the direction that she (Redford) is expecting boards and agencies to also follow,” he said during a board meeting with the trustees on Sept. 12.
Trustee Danny Smaiel suggested the school board “look at the models” and review the structure for consideration.
“I think it's a good idea. Let's put this out because I mean, this board has been very clear. It's operated in a very transparent manner for a number of years so to put expense claims in, I absolutely have no problem and I encourage it for this board,” said Smaiel.
He added communication is also key to this new policy.
“The government not only wants to make it transparent but the message they have sent out as a body needs to be really clear,” said Smaiel. “As a regional type government that we are, a governing body that we are, we should look into that and look at that model and certainly consider it.”
Trustee Rod Soholt said “it would be worth looking at” and when he was reviewing the new policy, he felt the NLSD was already well within the new limitations.
“When I looked at it I thought, ‘Man, we're well within all of those,' ” he said.
The new process is said to start Oct. 1 and is to be reviewed and claimed every two months, as opposed to the NLSD's current system, which claims once per year.
“We report it now as part of our financial statement anyway and I would say that a vast majority of the information is already there,” said Nippard.
Smaiel moved that the NLSD review policy details, with the intent to implement the provincial framework once it is established, and follow suit.
