The House of Commons recently defended its decision to increase the salary of a New Brunswick MP, stating that it was a mandatory requirement under legislation. According to House clerk Eric Janse’s affidavit filed in Federal Court, all Members of Parliament are obligated to receive the specified amounts outlined in the law, making any deviation unlawful and impractical.
Miramichi-Grand Lake Conservative MP Mike Dawson had sought a judicial review in June to prevent Parliament from implementing the $8,800 raise, prompting Janse to respond with his affidavit last month. The House Administration emphasized that sessional allowances for MPs must adhere to the amounts set by the Parliament of Canada Act, including annual adjustments as prescribed by law.
Granting Dawson the option to decline the raise would necessitate special administrative procedures solely for him, requiring separate calculations of his sessional allowance annually for the duration of his MP tenure. The base salary for MPs stood at $208,900 last year and increased to $217,700 on April 1, following the formulaic indexation to private-sector salary trends as per federal legislation.
While Dawson has been redirecting his raise to charitable causes, he expressed his belief that accepting an $8,800 raise amidst economic challenges for many Canadians was inappropriate. Citing his experience as a business owner, Dawson highlighted the simplicity of tax deductions and questioned the complexity of halting a pay raise, advocating for more discretion in such matters.
The first-term MP’s stance on the issue has drawn attention, with House of Commons Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia’s spokesperson, Olivier Duhaime, noting that legal arguments for the case will be fully presented within the next two months. Neither Scarpaleggia nor Janse were available for interviews regarding the ongoing controversy.
