MPPs Still Underpaid, Despite Pay Hike
Posted December 17, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Premier Dalton McGuinty introduced a bill to hike salaries, which has been supported by the Progressive Conservatives, that has angered several Ontarians and even some MPPs, including NDP member Peter Kormos who was so infuriated by the suggestion he was kicked out of the legislature.
The provincial politicos voiced their desire to give themselves the increase following a report by Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner, Coulter Osborne, that suggested MPPs’ salaries be raised to come close to the wages earned by their federal counterparts.
MPPs’ salaries will go up by just over $22,000 to $110,775, which is still only 75 percent of what federal representatives bring home.
University of Toronto politics professor Nelson Wiseman says many civil servants and municipal politicians also earn more than provincial legislators.
“If we use public sector standards, MPPs are dramatically underpaid,” Wiseman said.
“An increase of even 50 per cent would not be outrageous when you take into account that the budget of the province is $90 billion a year. You are dealing with small change here.”
The low pay and very heavy workload may be keeping some future political stars out of the halls at Queen’s Park, deciding to either stay within the municipal ranks or move directly to Ottawa, according to David Christopherson, a federal NDP MP who sat in the Ontario legislature before running federally in 2003.
“Quite frankly, it’s just upside down when you’ve got quality councillors, say, in the city of Toronto, who will not even think about running for the Ontario legislature because they would have to take a pay cut,” he said.
Osborne said the pay hike is needed to prevent Queen’s Park from becoming a “farm team” for the House of Commons.
The proposed raise is expected to go to a final vote soon.
Sign up for a del.icio.us account here to save your bookmarks for free online.
