As soon as I learned that my colleagues at the Bureau of Investigation had developed a tool to trace salaries in the Quebec public service, I rushed to check income in the cultural sector.
I especially wanted to know how these salaries compare to artistes' income. The answer is surprising…
- Listen to the Durocher-Dutrizak meeting with Sophie Durocher QUB :
Arts salaries
“Quebecers are the highest-paid taxpayers in North America, but it's hard for them to know how much civil servants and elected officials have earned with public funds,” my colleagues wrote.
Using a research module developed by the Provincial Bureau of Investigation, I was able to compile from highest to lowest salary.
-Nathalie Verge, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Culture and Communications $232,001
-Mary Collin, Board Member. and CEO Société de Telediffusion du Québec (Tele-Québec) $232,001
-Matthew Lacombe, Member of Parliament for Papineau, Minister of Culture and Communications (CAQ) $230,591
-Eric Bergeron, Assistant Deputy Minister Ministry of Culture and Communications $217,754
-Louis Lantagne, Board Member. and CEO Cultural Business Development Corporation (SODEC) $217,754
-Marc Hervieux, Board Member. and DG Conservatory of Music and Dramatic Art of Quebec $217,754
-Jean-Luc Murray, Board Member. and DG National Museum of Fine Arts of Quebec $217,754
-Stephane La Roche, Board Member. and CEO Musée de la Civilization $217,754
-John Zeppetelli, Board Member. and DG Museum of Contemporary Art of Montreal $217,754
-Marie-Josie Desrochers, Board Member. and CEO Societe de la Place des Arts de Montreal $216,662
-Anne-Marie Jean, Board Member. and CEO Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec $187,521
– Gayton Morency, Board Member. and CEO Société du Grand Théâtre de Quebec $187,521
-Louise Chamberland, Assistant Deputy Minister Ministry of Culture and Communications $187,521
-Laine Ouellet, member and president Quebec Cultural Heritage Council $169,950
-Michel Bonsaint, UN Quebec Representative for Education, Science and Culture in Paris. Ministry of International Relations and La Francophonie $169,950
– Stephanie Jordan, Assistant Deputy Minister Ministry of Culture and Communications $167,870
-Annie Grand-Maurcel-Brosseau, Assistant Deputy Minister Ministry of Culture and Communications $144,249
-Ann Mundy, Member and VP Quebec Cultural Heritage Council $132,259
Here are the conclusions I came to by looking at the list I compiled: Deputy Minister Nathalie Verge and CEO of Télé-Québec Marie Collin earn more than the Minister. The two highest paid people in the public cultural sector are women. Each year, we pay $3,564,620 in salaries to civil servants and elected officials in Quebec's cultural sector. And ten people earn more than $200,000 in the cultural sector of the Quebec public service.
A job that kills hunger
I remind you that the median income of Quebec artists is $15,200. So there are ten people who “run” the cultural sector earning 13 times the average income in the cultural sector.
I leave you with a quote from Godard in this film Contempt: “When I hear the word culture, I reach for my checkbook.”
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