(Halifax) The Nova Scotia Legislative Assembly concluded its short summer session on Tuesday with the passage of legislation that reverses a planned 12.6 per cent salary increase for MLAs.
Posted at 6:30 p.m.
The amendments made to the House of Assembly Act come to maintain the status quo in the remuneration of members. The base salary of $89,234, set in 2013, therefore remains unchanged. Elected officials also voted to cut Premier Tim Houston’s salary by $11,246. The latter will therefore earn $190,754 per year.
“It was really important for our government to block this salary increase, commented Mr. Houston before the vote. We did the right thing for Nova Scotians by coming here. »
The Progressive Conservative government had convened an emergency session on July 26 to cancel the binding recommendations made by an independent review committee responsible for examining all the allowances paid to elected officials. The review was set in motion following last summer’s election and its recommendations were accepted by House Speaker Keith Bain on May 30.
Although it supported a salary increase, the review committee pointed out in its report that elected officials were free to forgo their $11,000 bonus or donate it to a charity. However, Premier Houston felt it was necessary to summon the Legislative Assembly to intervene and block this rise at a time when the population was suffering the consequences of inflation.
“Obviously, this is not the right time, summed up Mr. Houston. The salary has been frozen for ten years and at some point it will be time to review it, but not today. »
Both opposition parties indicated on Tuesday that they would support the proposal, but they questioned the need for an emergency session.
Liberal leader Zach Churchill accused the government of seeking to create a buzz supportive media at a time when he should be tackling more pressing matters instead. In his opinion, a vote by elected officials on their own remuneration constitutes a flagrant conflict of interest.
NDP leader Claudia Chender said she understands the public’s lack of appetite for a pay rise for their elected officials. But in his view, there was no urgency to proceed now.