According to the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s own annual report, Executive Leadership paycheques shot up nearly $300,000 in 2025. This significant raise has come in the wake of failed half-billion dollar IT projects that have seen no accountability, escalating violence and weapons incidents in emergency rooms, unprecedented service disruptions, and hundreds of frontline workers penning letters to the Minister of Health begging for change.
“Healthcare in Saskatchewan is in worse shape than ever, and frontline workers haven’t had a raise in years,” said Meara Conway, Saskatchewan NDP Health Shadow Minister. “Executive compensation has shot up while outcomes keep getting worse. What message does it send when the people on the frontlines need to stop at the food bank to put food on their kitchen table while these senior executives are handed massive raises?”
Scott Moe’s former press secretary and leadership campaign staffer Jim Billington saw his annual compensation rise to $257,640. Billington is the SHA’s Communications Vice-President and spends his days writing materials that downplay the very real crisis playing out on the frontlines of Saskatchewan healthcare.
“Jim Billington was making half that when he worked as Scott Moe’s Press Secretary, and side hustling as Moe’s most trusted leadership campaign staffer. He is now responsible for spinning good news stories and community engagement at a time when the number one thing we hear from healthcare workers and local communities is that this government and this SHA leadership have stopped listening. But with a Board that has zero independence from the Sask Party, are we really surprised? Clearly it pays to work on Scott Moe’s campaigns, but everyone else? Well, they get screwed.”
Other senior SHA executives who have failed to do their jobs have received raises:
CEO Andrew Will received a $17,000 raise and now receives over $441,000 annually. Will was the subject of a letter recently signed by more than 200 healthcare workers begging for his help to address constant safety threats at St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon that have been ignored by senior SHA leadership for years.
Chief Operating Officer Derek Miller saw a pay increase of $10,000, bringing his total to over $362,000 annually. Last fall, Miller attempted to downplay the impact of a policy introduced for rural emergency rooms that will see them forced to stay open if even one registered nurse is onsite.
Chief Human Resources Officer Mike Northcott saw his annual compensation rise another $21,000 to over $363,000.
Multiple SHA vice-presidents also received raises.
The SHA board, which has at least five members with direct ties to Sask. Party campaigns, also saw its remuneration increase by $30,000 despite only meeting six times in 2025. Arlene Wiks, chair of the SHA board, was a political operative on the election campaign of former Health Minister Paul Merriman and has regularly donated to the Sask. Party going as far back as at least 2013.
“This is pay-to-play politics,” Conway said. “And it has to stop. A Saskatchewan NDP Government led by Carla Beck will protect public healthcare, support frontline workers and send ineffective Sask. Party hacks pretending to run the health authority packing.”
“Clearly, it’s time for change.”
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