The House of Commons has stated that it was mandatory to increase the salary of a Member of Parliament from New Brunswick, regardless of his preference for the raise. House clerk Eric Janse, in an affidavit submitted to the Federal Court, emphasized that all MPs must receive the specified amounts outlined in legislation, with any deviation being both illegal and impractical.
Miramichi-Grand Lake Conservative MP Mike Dawson had sought a judicial review in June to challenge the $8,800 raise proposed by Parliament. In response, Janse filed an affidavit last month asserting that the sessional allowance for the applicant must strictly adhere to the amounts set by the Parliament of Canada Act, including any annual adjustments.
Granting Dawson the option to decline the raise would necessitate unique administrative tasks for House staff to calculate and maintain a separate sessional allowance for him each year throughout his tenure as an MP. The base salary for MPs was $208,900 last year, increasing to $217,700 on April 1, in accordance with federal legislation linking MP pay to a formula based on private-sector salary increases.
Despite the raise, Dawson believes it is inappropriate to accept an $8,800 increase when many Canadians are facing financial challenges. He expressed that as a business owner, the process of deducting federal taxes from employees’ pay was straightforward and should not be more complex for MPs. Dawson highlighted the discrepancy between technological advancements and the inability to halt a pay raise, emphasizing the simplicity of electronic payment processes.
The first-term MP has chosen to donate his raise to charity but asserts that he should have the right to voice objections to the increase entirely. Olivier Duhaime, a spokesperson for House of Commons Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia, stated that Scarpaleggia and Janse would not provide interviews on the matter. Full legal arguments for the case are anticipated to be submitted within the next two months.