Earlier, we reported most of the provincial government's top bureaucrats are now making $207,900 - irrespective of the size of the ministry they're responsible for. That means, for example, tourism, sport and the arts deputy minister Bruce Okabe - who will be managing an estimated $129.5 million in operating expenses and 166 direct full-time equivalents in fiscal 2007/08 - will take home the same paycheque as employment and income assistance deputy minister Cairine MacDonald - who will be managing an estimated $1.5 billion in operating expenses and 1,973 full-time equivalents in the same fiscal year. Does that seem strange to anyone else? The following is a complete list of civil service heads earning $207,900 - including the operating expenses for their ministry and the number of full-time equivalents working for them.

Operating Expenses/Full-Time Equivalents for Deputy Ministers Earning $207,900

Lorne Brownsey (aboriginal relations and reconciliation) $55,160,000/179
Robin Ciceri (small business and revenue) $59,964,000/891
Emery Dosdall (education) $5,494,380,000/322
John Dyble (transportation) $881,847,000/1,449
James Gorman (public service agency) $12,233,000/363
Doug Konkin (forests and range) $730,080,000/3,698
Cairine MacDonald (employment and income assistance) $1,479,528,000/1,973
David Morhart (solicitor general) $603,385,000/2,617
Bruce Okabe (tourism, sport and the arts) $129,548,000/166
Larry Pedersen (agriculture and lands) $270,295,000/820
Moura Quayle (advanced education) $2,151,076,000/228
Greg Reimer (energy, mines and petroleum resources) $77,459,000/315
Chris Trumpy (environment) $215,862,000/1,444
Lori Wanamaker (labour and citizesn' services) $97,507,000/2,195
Sheila Wynn (community services) $261,575,000/203