Three out of four Quebecers would be against a 30% increase in MP salaries, suggests a new Léger poll conducted at the request of Québec solidaire (QS).
The probe was conducted online with 1006 Quebecers, from May 26 to 29.
He suggests that only 20% of respondents totally agree (6%) or rather agree (14%) with the increase in the salaries of deputies defended by the Legault government.
On the other hand, 74% of them said they totally disagreed (49%) or somewhat disagreed (25%) with this proposition.
The Léger poll comes at a time when the issue is making sparks in the National Assembly, the united deputies deeming it odious to raise their salaries more quickly than that of state employees.
The study of Bill 24, which gives concrete expression to the salary increase for deputies, is nevertheless continuing this week, in the absence of public consultations. The bill has reached the detailed study stage.
Remember that it was a committee made up of, among others, former Liberal minister Lise Thériault and former PQ MP Martin Ouellet that recommended an immediate 30% increase.
However, Quebec MPs are already the best paid provincial MPs in Canada.
In its report, the committee pointed out that the precariousness of the function, the magnitude of the workload and the challenge of balancing work-family-personal life were particularly difficult.
If Bill 24 passes, the base salary of MPs will increase from $101,561 to $131,766. Their pension plan will remain as it is, the committee having not ruled on this aspect.
Last week, wanting to justify the salary increase, the government whip, Éric Lefebvre, pleaded that his workload was so heavy that he could only see his mother once a year.
Prime Minister François Legault argued that politicians have “the right to go and earn as much money as possible to give as much as possible to (their) children”.
QS said he found it absurd that elected officials should pay themselves such a salary increase and, with the Parti Québécois (PQ), asked that it be postponed to 2026, after the next general election.
The PQ said it would support the bill provided the government accepted QS’s amendment forcing a postponement. This amendment should be debated in the coming days.
Passing through Bécancour on Monday, Mr. Legault again refused to postpone the increase to 2026.
“We had a report that was made by an independent committee, requested by the Office of the National Assembly […] then we accept the report as is, including the effective date,” he said.