• $100,000 Club Climbs to 42,549 from 33,440 - 27% increase
• $2 million dollar man revealed
• 838 earn over $250,000 - top 0.7% of income earners

• Sunshine Report as PDF file.

Toronto: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) responded today to the annual release of the Sunshine Report which discloses names of Ontario's public-sector employees paid $100,000 or more. CTF Ontario Director, Kevin Gaudet said, "working for the government should be a noble calling to make a difference, not a ticket to the good life. The number of public sector employees making over $100,000 has tripled in the last four years alone."

Since its creation, the Sunshine Report of top earners has seen a steady increase in its membership.

According to the latest available Statistics Canada data, Sunshine list members enjoy being part of an elite corps of Ontario income earners - "The Elite Five" - the top 5% of Ontario income earners.

Gaudet noted that the Sunshine Report fails to include government work that is contracted out. Because of this, he number of people on the public payroll who would enter "The Elite Five" is understated. A few interesting highlights include:

• OMERS President Paul Haggis earned $2,240,007.70 - the first civil servant in Ontario ever to break the $2 million barrier.
• TVO's Steve Paikin received $231,346.22 to keep current on his show 'The Agenda'.
• Niagara District School Board Director, Warren Hoshizaki earned $197,446.93
• ONTC President Steven Carmichael earned $192,252.00 (a raise of $6,000 over last year) to lose $1 million a month for ONTC. 60 other employees joined him in 'The Elite Five'.

Gaudet concluded, "working for government should not be the winning lottery ticket it is turning out to be."