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Alberta needs stronger changes to rein in severance payouts: Wildrose

Alberta’s opposition party says a plan by Premier Jim Prentice to cap severance payouts doesn’t go far enough.

EDMONTON — Alberta’s opposition party says a plan by Premier Jim Prentice to cap severance payouts doesn’t go far enough.

Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith says the payments have to go beyond political staff to include all senior managers and government officials.

The Wildrose says a freedom of information search has revealed that cabinet minister Manmeet Bhullar’s office paid out more than $5 million to senior staffers when he ran the Service Alberta department.

Bhullar is now infrastructure minister.

One payout was listed at almost $700,000.

Prentice promised to reform the system after former premier Alison Redford’s inner circle left with more than $1 million in severance earlier this year.