Opposition House Leader Kelvin Goertzen is calling on Premier Greg Selinger to release information on severance packages for people he is firing. Selinger has dismissed a number of people from his office who supported other candidates in the recent NDP leadership contest. Goertzen says Selinger had earlier promised no one would lose their jobs for supporting another candidate so he expects the severance payments will cost taxpayers a lot of money.

"As a result of how this is happening, these are going to be super-sized severance packages because we're in the midst of someone who is pushing people out who said he wasn't going to be pushing them out. That probably comes at a cost. And, that doesn't come at a cost to Mr. Selinger or the NDP. Manitobans will be paying for that. So, be transparent about that. Tell us what that amount of money is going to be and how those negotiations are happening because, when you are 'negotiating' severance, that already means that you're not operating off of a formula , you're operating off of something unusual. And, this is an unusual thing that Manitobans are going to pay for."

Goertzen notes Selinger's former Chief of Staff previously received a severance payment of $146,000.00 after only two years of work.
That leads him to guess the latest round of firings, involving 5-10 people, could cost Manitobans about $1 million. Goertzen says the Conservatives are pursuing this information under the Freedom of Information Act but says it would be far better if the Premier would simply give taxpayers the information straight up.