Alberta Health Services (AHS) president and CEO Stephen Duckett stands to gain a hefty bonus if he succeeds in trimming hundreds of millions from the province's health budget.
AHS is now trying to save an extra three per cent from its $10.9 billion health budget. During the first phase of cost cutting, AHS needs to save $650 million.
Duckett said he receives a bonus if he improves not only the bottom line but access and quality in Alberta health care. Right now, Duckett is paid $575,000, but will receive close to $144,000 in a bonus, if the Alberta Health Services board finds that certain benchmarks are reached. Alberta health Services said Friday that those goals have yet to be determined.
"Mr. Duckett was brought into this province with a very specific agenda, which is to slash and burn health services and the health budget," said Heather Smith, president of the United Nurses of Alberta. "I don't think you need a lot of benchmarks in terms of identifying if that has been successfully achieved."
Alberta MLA Kevin Taft said the Liberals have been making requests to government asking for more information about Duckett's bonus structure.
"What are the things that are driving these decisions, what in his contract will direct him one way or another? And there doesn't seem to be anything there," said Taft.
AHS said Alberta's Health Minister Ron Liepert will not be part of setting the benchmarks.
"The number one job of a minister is to be accountable for what happens in his department," said Taft.
AHS said it's in preliminary discussions to come up with the benchmarks. Those goals are set to be made public at the end of September.
With files from CTV's Kevin Armstrong
