Mr Leduc on Tuesday sent a letter to Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette, official opposition parliamentary leader Monsef Derraji and PQ MP Pascal Bérubé, hoping to garner their support for an amendment that would delay Parliament increases the salaries of MPs in the next legislature.
We also want all elected officials to agree to our position: Abandon Bill 24 […] , writes Mr. Leduc. However, since at the moment everything indicates that the Government wishes the legislative process to continue, I invite you at least to support the first amendment that I will table, which aims to postpone the entry into force of the Bill until the next legislature.
The bill, introduced in May, aims to increase the annual base salary of elected members of the National Assembly by $30,000, which would bring it to $131,766.
QS argues that elected officials should not vote for their own working conditions, but should bow to the judgment of an independent committee.
The supporting Hochelaga-Maisonneuve MP also argued on Wednesday that elected officials know their working conditions before running for office, which does not justify extending the full exercise of their functions.
Solidarity MPs Manon Massé and Alexandre Leduc
Photo: The Canadian Press
At his side, QS co-spokeswoman Manon Massé compared MPs’ pay rise to that of the minimum wage, with no common measure.
“Our first goal is to prevent the passage of this bill,” Manon Massé added on Wednesday. Minimum wage people got a dollar raise.
“The MPs who have the great privilege of voting on their salary will increase their salary by 30%. Let’s see! »
– A quote from Manon Massé, co-spokeswoman of Québec Solidaire
Hoping to mobilize against the passage of this law, QS invites citizens to call their MP’s office and tell him about their own pay rise.
Québec Solidaire also promises to donate an as-yet-undetermined portion of the new salary to organizations by significantly increasing donations in the Ridings.
ambition
Last week Prime Minister François Legault argued that the debate on the remuneration of elected members of the National Assembly had dragged on for too long and that his government was showing courage by proposing a law.
I am thinking, among other things, of a young father who wants to offer his children as much as possible. It is normal for him to be offered competitive pay, Mr Legault said in the Blue Room on Tuesday.
“It’s a funny argument,” responded the MP, who, in his opinion, didn’t go into politics to make money.
In addition, the Parti Québécois (PQ) stated that they tend to agree with QS’s proposal to postpone implementation. This would ensure that it is not the current elected officials who would vote for their own raise; They should be (re)elected to benefit from this increase, explained PQ MP Pascal Bérubé.
“This is a track I mentioned before QS,” he said.
However, some elected PQ officials are still hesitating over whether to support the CAQ bill. They are expected to announce their decision on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Liberals are more reluctant to accept the QS proposal. “I will consider the amendment as a team with our group and in due course,” Liberal House Speaker Monsef Derraji said. The Liberal Party (PLQ) has already said it supports the bill.
The CAQ wants to pass the salary increase for MPs before the end of the June 9 parliamentary session. To achieve this, François Legault did not rule out the use of the gag.