Even if they already earn more money than deputies from the country’s other provincial legislative assemblies, elected members of the National Assembly deserve a pay raise of $30,000 a year, according to the committee investigating the issue.
This is the conclusion of the report of the working group made up of former Liberal Minister Lise Thériault, former PQ MP Martin Ouellet and a human resources specialist, presented to the Blue Room on Wednesday.
Under this recommendation, annual base compensation for MNAs would increase from $139,745 to $169,950, an amount that includes an expense allowance of $38,184.
The committee is also proposing to increase the prime minister’s base salary, currently $208,200, to $270,120. Ministers’ pay would increase from $177,732 to $230,591. If they want to implement these opinions, MPs have to pass a law.
If we compare…
Presenting the report, Ms Thériault said that she considered this to be an “acceptable minimum” for MEPs’ remuneration.
However, elected officials in Quebec already earn more than their counterparts in Alberta, Ontario and British Columbia.
Lise Thériault explained this situation by saying that compared to elected officials from other provinces, Quebec MNAs have to consider more issues, including police services, housing and childcare services. “There’s a workload that MPs have that other MPs in other provinces don’t have,” she said.
In fact, the Task Force bases its recommendation to increase the base salary of elected officials by 30% on the workload, atypical schedule and security issues faced by MPs.
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weakness
The report’s authors also recognize that revising the pay of elected officials is a “complex and sensitive matter” and that “parliamentarians themselves openly express unease in deciding their own pay” because “there appears to be a conflict of interest, which this entails”.
“It’s hard to be a judge and a party,” admitted Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon. I’ve chaired several public company compensation committees, and I think we should let third parties review what we’re doing and judge whether we’re overpaid or underpaid.
Québec solidaire’s elected officials also reject the increase proposed by the “CAQ-created review committee,” calling for the process “with an independent and authoritative committee” from the start “out of respect for the people.”
The spokesman for QS, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, also said in the morning that his current salary seemed sufficient. “I don’t think I’m to be pitied as an MP,” he said.
Base salary of elected officials in Canada
- House of Commons (Ottawa): $194,600
- FROM: $120,936
- Ontario: $116,500
- British Columbia: $115,046
- Quebec (current): $139,745*
- Quebec (per committee proposal): $169,950*
*Including expense allowance. The National Assembly is the only state legislature in which MPs are paid an expense allowance.
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