He tried to keep it private, but top manager's pay details revealed at Muskrat Falls inquiry

The pay for a top manager and contractor on the Muskrat falls project was revealed at the inquiry Tuesday despite legal efforts a few days ago to forbid questions on the topic.

"This has to be in public and there will be no restrictions," said commissioner Richard LeBlanc.

Paul Harrington was paid $1,676 a day from April 2010 to March 2011 that's an hourly rate of $209.

In the period between April 2007 and March 2010, he earned between $1,500 and $1,538 per day.

The figures above are financial information Harrington has been fighting to keep secret.

On Friday, his lawyers filed what they called an "11th hour" Supreme Court application.

They were seeking an order allowing Harrington to "refuse to disclose information related to his rate of pay and compensation to the inquiry."

That court action was put on hold, since LeBlanc would decide at the inquiry how to deal with that.

Pay info 'relevant': Commissioner

On Tuesday, LeBlanc said that while there are times during a public inquiry when some information can be protected, it does not apply in this case.

"I am of the view that Mr. Harrington can be asked questions here related to his day rate" and generally with regards to his pay scale, he said.

He also ruled that a witness must disclose information even if that information is protected by other legislation, noting access to information laws do not apply at the inquiry.

Harrington has another application before the courts, seeking to block the release of his pay details under access to information laws. CBC News filed a request for that information this past summer.

That matter has been on hold because of a recent decision in a separate case that could have an impact on the privacy arguments being made. That separate case, involving the province's teachers' union, may be on the way to the Supreme Court of Canada if the nation's top court decides to hear it.

With files from Terry Roberts, Mark Quinn and Rob Antle

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