The National Assembly recently increased its budget by $4.4 million to pay deputies their remuneration this year, which was increased by 30% amid controversy last spring.
In a decision adopted on October 19, the deputies members of the Bureau of the National Assembly (BAN) approved an increase in the institution’s credits.
According to the document, this budgetary modification is the consequence of the adoption by deputies, in June, of a law which increases their remuneration by 30%.
“To ensure the implementation of this law during the current fiscal year, additional sums of $4,356,979 are necessary,” indicates the BAN decision bearing number 2293.
The National Assembly’s appropriations were thus increased to $189.9 million, which will allow the institution to complete the current financial year, which ends on March 31.
Before the adoption of the Act following up on the recommendations of the Independent Advisory Committee on the review of the annual compensation of members of the National Assemblythe institution’s budget was set at $185.6 million in April 2023.
The BAN is the equivalent of the board of directors of the National Assembly. All political parties are represented there as full members or observers. Its work is directed by the President of the National Assembly, Nathalie Roy.
Controversial rise
Under the increase adopted in June by elected officials, their basic compensation increased from $101,561 to $131,766. To this sum are added other allowances depending on the functions performed by the parliamentarians.
The President of the National Assembly, the ministers and the leader of the official opposition receive an additional compensation of 75%, which is added to their basic remuneration of $131,766. The additional compensation linked to the function of Prime Minister is 105%.
In addition to these allowances, MPs receive an expenses allowance of $20,256, as well as reimbursement for their travel expenses to parliament. Their housing expenses in Quebec are also reimbursed up to $17,800 per year.
In June, the decision to increase the basic compensation by $30,000 aroused the opposition of three out of four Quebecers, according to a Léger survey paid for by Québec solidaire (QS).
Free to decide, most QS elected officials refused this increase, the sums of which they must remit in the form of donations to organizations. The PQ deputies also refused this increase. They will donate donations equivalent to what exceeds the percentage of the salary increase obtained by state employees as part of the current negotiations. Members of the Coalition Avenir Québec and the Quebec Liberal Party will receive the entire increase.
In October, the BAN abolished an attendance bonus of $125 per day that MPs received when they participated in a parliamentary committee outside the parliamentary calendar, when the House is not sitting.
This decision was taken after the situation was exposed by The duty in September. Two former presidents of the National Assembly judged in particular that this attendance bonus no longer had its reason for being after what Prime Minister François Legault described as a “catch-up” of 30%.
Mr. Legault himself initially defended maintaining the bonus of $125 per day, only to then turn around.