More MLA Salary Details

Friday, November 18, 2005 02:14 PM

You can expect the head of the BC Teachers Federation to be a little miffed today. A scant couple of weeks ago, she and the teachers of the province were being told the cupboard was empty when it came to salary increases.

BC is now the 3rd highest paying MLA salaries in the country.

Quebec, because of a tax free allowance, tops us at $98,671 followed by Ontario at $86,860 then at $280.00 dollars less, is BC at $86,580.
Here's how the rest of the nation shapes up:
The NWT at $85,021,
Nun $67,530,
Man. $67,173,
Sask $ 64,175,
NFLD $ 47,240 ,
Alberta $45,132,
NB $42,702,
Yukon, $37,434,
Nova Scotia $37,288,
and PEI $ 36,689

It took less than one minute for the bill to receive third and final reading. It was a unanimous vote by all of those MLA’s in the house including the NDP.

Cabinet Minister’s salaries rise by $16,000 a year to $131,000. Premier Campbell’s salary goes from $120,400 to $146,320. NDP leader Carol James salary goes from $114,400 to $131,329.

No cost was posted as to what the pension plan will cost; it is certainly the best plum of all.

MLA’s are eligible to receive 65% of their best three years of their salary while in office. They can begin taking pension after 12 years of service or age 55.

Three years of service, or one term, will net you a pension of $55,627.00 a year payable for the balance of your life.

Cabinet Ministers, Leaders of the Opposition and the Premier will get far more. The real cost is not in the salary increase which comes into effect on April Fools Day next year, but the pension which will add millions to the cost of government over the next 25 years.

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Posted on Friday, November 18, 2005 02:14 PM in Views by Ben Meisner

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Comments

Posted by: tami on November 18 2005 3:02 PM

Hard to believe the audacity of a government that can't find wage increases for teachers or health care providers, and then votes themselves a 15% raise, coupled with a cushy pension plan.

For those of you that have finally had enough, how about sending an e-mail to your MLA or the premier to let them know how you feel? Here are their addresses:

pat.bell.mla@leg.bc.ca

shirley.bond.mla@leg.bc.ca

john.rustad.mla@leg.bc.ca

premier@gov.bc.ca

Posted by: uglyduck on November 18 2005 3:03 PM

Ben, there are people who don't think that's enough to lure our best people into positions of leadership. There are plenty of professionals or business people who make far more money than that without being scrutinized daily by the electorate, media, etc. Who is nuts enough to go from a $70K/year job to run for an MLA post with all the drain on families, personal life, and the added stress? A new approach is needed. Pay much more, draw better quality people than we currently have, and see the government handled properly. Spend a few dollars to have our tax money handled better, by people with expertise. All you have to do is look at the current list of city council candidates and carefully pick out those who are running just for the extra cash, not solely because they want to see things done right. Federal and provincial election periods are no different.

Posted by: Big_B on November 18 2005 3:20 PM

Uglyduck must be a media person for the MLA's.

Gee, by the same token, shouldn't we want to have the very best people teaching our kids or running or hospitals?

It seems to me those people get scrutinized all the time as well, by media and public alike.

Yet, they are forced into taking what the fatcats in Victoria give them.

I'd say something baout fairness, but I gave up on fairness a hell of a long time ago.

Posted by: Jeannie on November 18 2005 3:51 PM

I heard a radio report which quoted an MLA as saying that he was worth so much more in the private/business sector...and how he had to "give up" income to take the position...that he would NOT apologize for the raise. He feels he deserves it! I think he needs to be reminded that he "chose" to take such a position, knowing what the remuneration would be. He wasn't forced into anything....and he deserves (as the other MLA's do) to accept the pay that they willingly agreed to when they sought and were elected to office. If the goverment can't afford to pay other "so-called self-titled QUALITY PEOPLE"...they should not be allowed to give themselves such an outrageous raise! Taxpayers should decide if and when their representatives are entitled....not the representatives. And people wonder why we are all getting more and more cynical of government!

Posted by: Chadermando on November 18 2005 4:18 PM

Any raise should be for the next legislature and should be approved by the voter via a referendum at the next election.

If we the people think the raise is justified and appropriate then a raise will be varified at the polls.

How come an Alberta MLA can get by on 1/2 the pay as a BC MLA and yet Alberta is one of the best run provinces in Canada?

The ones that are in it for money are going to get their money through off shore accounts for things like privatization of public assets and awarding of public contracts.

If we want to avoid corruption in the future we need an electoral system that puts the citizens in charge and not corrupted parties with power to put people in power. Then we need to follow that up with a better firewall against outside influence on government through investigative enforcement of our public officials.

Good people will run for office no matter what the pay is if the system for electing them is not so corrupted and based on high finance character assassination rather than issues.

Time Will Tell

Posted by: Mike on November 18 2005 4:46 PM

I would say to the labour unions that NOW is the time for a general strike. Shut this province down and demand that this government fall in line with zero and zero and maybe cut back 25 % as well. This government is by far the best example of 'pigs at the trough' yet.

Posted by: Liam on November 18 2005 5:12 PM

And now the leader of the NDP says it was a big mistake..DUH!!!! Kind of puts paid to the NDP as the party of the common man

Posted by: Palopu on November 18 2005 8:36 PM

One reason given for the raise in pay was to be more in line with other Provinces/ We can see by the pay for the other Provinces that this is not the case. They have paid themselves in line with Quebec and Ontario, when they should have put themselves in line with Alberta and taken a cut in wages.
Ontario Population 12,541,410 103 MLA's
Quebec Population
7,598,146 125 MLA's
Alberta Poulation
3,256,816 83 MLA's
British Columbia
4,254,522 78 MLA's

Its pretty obvious where the salary for B.C. MLA's should be.
I agree that we should all write to our MLA's and if they try to stonewall us on this, then we should consider a recall for one of them to make our point.

Posted by: ammonra on November 18 2005 10:00 PM

The point is not how much they are worth. There are many employees, both private and public sector, who are worth more than they get in pay. The point is that there is a pay freeze on for public sector workers, and MLAs are nothing more than public sector workers. They are employed by the People of BC through the Legislature, and they should be subject to the same freeze as anyone else. All the rest is self serving nonsense.

I am particularly mystified by the pension change. I have never understood why MLAs are not in the Municipal Pension Plan, or one of its siblings, with the same benefits as any other public sector worker - 2% of salary per year of contributions (7% of salary matched by the employer), payable at age 55 or so. If its good enough for everyone else then its good enough for them, surely.

I am annoyed that the NDP voted in favour. Even admitting it was a mistake to do so and asking Campbell not to implement the raises until it has been scrutinised is no correction for making such an embarrassing error in judgment. Carol James should introduce a motion in the Legislature reversing the Bill, and then introduce a second motion requiring independent reviews of MLA salaries to ensure they keep in line with other public sector workers.

Posted by: owl on November 19 2005 12:09 AM

I am not sure how accurate the reporting for Alberta, or any other province, for that matter, is.

It appears that Alberta continues with the two part system - base salary of $45,132 with a tax free allowance of $22,566, for a total of $67,698. What I am unsure of is whether any part of BC's pay is also tax free. If not, then the two provinces are certainly much closer than shown.

In addition, in the linked article, it states that committee chairs are paid an additional $27,696.

The page was filed in August of this year and speaks of possible pay increases ... maybe as high as 27% based on an "independent" committee report ...

What would be interesting to find out is what type of individuals make up the maritime provinces legislatures ... are they independently wealthy? can they hold down other jobs? retired people?? ... as compared to those in Ontario, Quebec, BC and Alberta???

Posted by: owl on November 19 2005 12:10 AM

sorry ... forgot to include the link .... :-)

http://www.liberalopposition.com/index.php/content/more/pay_hike_fury_tory_mlas_under_fire_over_planned_salary_hike

Posted by: fedup on November 19 2005 12:50 AM

I agree with the fact that we need to pay these people a decent wage to ensure we get high quality leaders.The problem seems to be the pension plan if we want to attract good leaders why do we pay them such a high pension after 3 years seems like we are only attracking gold diggers.Maybe if they are so good we should convince them to stick around by makeing them earn thier pension over time like everyone else if we even end up with a pension when all is said and done.As for Carol James its not hard to see through her now is it.

Posted by: diplomat on November 23 2005 4:44 PM

One would think that the BC Teachers Union would finally get the message and stop handcuffing itself to the NDP which is always given its unquestioning support!!!

The NDP knew (when in power) that the loyalty of the teachers was assured, no matter what.
So, even the NDP did not take them seriously.

The Liberals know that now (when they are in power) no matter what they do they will never sway the teachers from their openly declared allegiance to the NDP.

So, they give the teachers only very slight attention.

When are the teachers going to figure out that they as an association should NOT officially support ANY party? That would leave all the parties guessing as to who they would vote for
in the next election!

How each teacher votes should be an individual decision, not mandated by an officially pronounced federation policy.

Just forget about the same old method, advance the professional aims of the
teachers for the benefit of the students and the teachers!

Which other professional associations are limiting their options to only one party?

Puzzling.

Maybe this has gone on for so long that no one dares to try a new approach?

Adding 1.7 billion dollars to the provincial debt annually for a whole decade like the NDP did (debt went from 17 billion to 34 billion) is not an option anymore. The DAILY interest payment of approximately 7 million dollars goes straight to the money lending bankers. It sure would go a long ways to alleviate some of the shortcomings in both health and education!

Are teachers aware of the mathematics of this, or is it too difficult for them to figure out?