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P.E.I. MLAs getting 2 salary increases in coming year | CBC News

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Members of P.E.I.’s legislative assembly will see their salaries go up in September and April, and some government officials will get a big increase next month.

The news came in the final report of the Indemnities and Allowances Commission, released Wednesday. The commission is an independent body, and its decisions on MLA compensation are binding.

Base MLA pay will rise 2.0 per cent on Sept. 1 and 2.5 per cent on April 1.

The commission considered submissions from the public, inflation and pay in other jurisdictions in its deliberations, said chair Ron Profit.

“We haven’t been keeping up nearly with what inflation is. Nor are we all that close to what is being paid in other jurisdictions for MLAs,” said Profit.

Pay for P.E.I. MLAs is just 77 per cent of the national average, and 87 per cent of the regional average, the commission found. Over the last three years, Profit said, inflation has amounted to 17 per cent while MLA salaries have risen 5.6 per cent.

Base pay for MLAs will rise from $78,542 to $82,116 by April 1.

Raises over $10,000 for some

The commission also looked at salaries paid to the premier, ministers and others taking on additional roles in the legislature. These officials receive the base MLA salary plus additional remuneration according to their role.

For many of these positions, the commission found salaries were close to the regional average, about 95 per cent. In those cases, the commission decided not to increase the additional salary component.

The premier, ministers, speaker and deputy speaker, and government house leader will receive only the increase to their base MLA salary.

But in considering other jurisdictions, the commission found some discrepancies in the pay for some roles.

In consulting with the clerk of the legislature, the commission could not find justification for paying the government house leader more than house leaders for other parties. Accordingly, the salary for those other house leaders is being increased to match the government house leader.

This will mean a jump in salary starting on Sept. 1 of almost $9,000 for the Opposition house leader and more than $11,000 for the Third Party house leader.

Party whips were found to be paid much less than their regional counterparts. They will also see big increases Sept. 1, with their pay being set at 95 per cent of a house leader. That is an increase of more than $7,000 for whips.

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