BC Liberals call for salary freeze for MLAs ahead of possible 10 per cent increase
A call by the Opposition BC Liberals to freeze provincial politicians' salaries as a show of solidarity with people struggling to make ends meet during inflationary times has found some traction with the New Democrat government.
Members of the legislature could be in line for a salary increase in April of 10 per cent or more, amounting to raises of at least $10,000, Liberal house leader Todd Stone said Thursday.
He said he would table a private member's bill this month in the legislature that proposes a one-year salary freeze to show the people of B.C. that politicians understand the economic sacrifices families are making across the province.
“I would point out that in dollar terms the wage increase for MLAs this year could be upwards of $10,000, $11,000 if the (consumer price index), which the wage increase is tied to, is in the 10 per cent range,” said Stone.
The B.C. legislature website says the basic annual MLA salary this year is $115,045.93, while Premier John Horgan's salary is $218,587.27.
Cabinet ministers make $172,568.90, as does Opposition leader Kevin Falcon.
B.C. MLA salaries are tied to changes in the consumer price index, which currently is at about eight per cent in the province.
NDP house leader Mike Farnworth said an all-party legislature management committee will discuss the salary issue over the coming weeks.
He said the New Democrats and BC Liberals have both implemented pay freezes in the past.
Farnworth would not commit to a pay freeze, but said the issue would be part of discussions surrounding the provincial budget, which will be tabled in February.
“The finance minister has already raised with me that given this year's inflation rate, this is obviously something that we would need to be looking at,” he said.
Finance Minister Selina Robinson did not immediately indicate if the government would support Stone's bill, but said in the legislature the New Democrats have been implementing cost-saving measures including free bus services for children under 12 years, child-care fee cuts and capping rent increases at two per cent.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 6, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.