The province is defending its decision to pay bonuses to executives with Alberta Health Services.

The bonuses have come under fire by the provincial Liberals.

On Tuesday, Kevin Taft says his party has documents showing eight employees were paid bonuses. The smallest bonus was $19,000; the largest bonus was just under $130,000.

The Liberals say AHS used the "Calgary Region Balanced Scorecard," to determine how bonuses were handed out.

Taft says the province shouldn't need to top up what he calls already generous salaries. "These people are already paid hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. That's enough for them to do their jobs properly. They should not need a bonus to do the right thing."

The provincial health minister says the bonuses play an important role. "You have to engage the best people you can find when you're overseeing a $10-billion operating budget with taxpayers dollars, when you manage over 400 facilities, and a workforce of 90,000 people,'" says Gene Zwozdesky.

Premier Ed Stelmach says Alberta Health Services is reviewing the contracts it offers to managers.