Federal politicians due to get automatic annual raise

[Merry]

Received an email from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation asking people to contact their MP regarding the automatic pay raise they're due to receive on April 1st. It's suggested you ask them whether or not they support it, in view of the fact that hundreds of thousands of Canadians have lost their jobs due to the Pandemic.

More than 70,000 private-sector jobs vanished over the last year. But federal politicians are still scheduled to get anohter raise this year. That's because they are eligible for automatic raises, every single year on April 1, like some kind of bad joke at taxpayers' expense.

Backbench MPs already make $182,000 per year. On top of that politicians receive tens of thousands of dollars in extra pay for ministerial roles.

The April 1 pay hike would work out to a cushy $3,200 extra for MPs and senators, $4,700 for government ministers and the leader of the opposition, and $6,400 for the prime minister.

Here are some email addresses you can write to and voice your displeasure:

Tracy Gray MP Kelowna-Lake Country [email protected]...
Dan Albas MP Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola ​ [email protected].
Richard Cannings MP South Okanagan-West Kootenay [email protected]..
Mel Arnold MP North Okanagan-Shuswap [email protected].

[Merry]

It's important to remember, when considering MP's pay, that expenses (such as travel expenses) are over and above what they receive in salary.

In 2019, the MP for the North Okanagan caused quite a stir when he billed the taxpayer $121,138.05 for his WIFE to fly to and from Ottawa during his term in Office.

All together MP's billed taxpayers $4.5 million in travel expenses for their wives
https://globalnews.ca/news/5876674/taxp ... -partners/

[Gone_Fishin]

It's important to remember, when considering MP's pay, that expenses (such as travel expenses) are over and above what they receive in salary.

In 2019, the MP for the North Okanagan caused quite a stir when he billed the taxpayer $121,138.05 for his WIFE to fly to and from Ottawa during his term in Office.

All together MP's billed taxpayers $4.5 million in travel expenses for their wives
https://globalnews.ca/news/5876674/taxp ... -partners/

We're paying over $10 million to renovate a cabin so that Sophie can stay separated from Justin. That dwarfs travel costs for 337 other MPs to have their unpaid partners participate in public events with and support their spouses.

[jimmy4321]

I don't care who's in power i don't get how a pandemic made life easier for any MP or why their earnings should be in lockstep with the economy.

[Merry]

It's important to note that the $4.5 million mentioned as billed by MP's for spousal travel in my above post , is in addition to the amount billed for travel expenses for themselves and for their children.

On top of that they also get money for Office Expenses, which is reasonable, BUT as those expenses do NOT come out of their salary, what is the justification for such large salaries?

Members are provided with an annual office budget to pay for employee salaries, service contracts, hospitality and advertising expenses, other printing services, constituency office leases, office operating costs, transportation expenses (when no travel points are used), as well as other travel-related expenses.

Note that the "transportation expenses" referred to in the above quote, does not refer to MP's personal travel expenses. So I assume it's for Office employees.

Travel Status Expenses Account: Members are provided with an annual allocation to pay for the per diem and accommodation expenses that they personally incur while in travel status, as well as expenses related to a declared secondary residence.

In addition to the above, members are granted "travel points" at the beginning of each calendar year

Travel Points: This column presents travel points used by Members and their authorized travelers in support of Members’ parliamentary functions. Members are provided with travel points at the beginning of each fiscal year. A travel point is equivalent to one round trip and a trip means a direct trip, by any means, to one destination for a particular purpose.

Regular: The number of points used by Members and their authorized travelers when traveling between the constituency and Ottawa, within the constituency, and from Ottawa or the constituency to the provincial/territorial capital.
Special: The number of points used by Members and their authorized travelers when traveling within Canada, other than for regular trips.
U.S.A.: The number of points used by Members when traveling to Washington D.C. or New York City.

On top of the above, they also get payouts for things like "secondary residences", costs associated with attending non partisan community functions, and more. They're certainly not hard done by.

You can read the list for yourself here: https://www.ourcommons.ca/PublicDisclos ... Language=E

So, in view of their VERY generous salary AND expenses, how can MPs possibly justify an automatic pay increase at a time when so many of those footing the bill are experiencing financial hardship caused by the Pandemic?

[bob vernon]

It is not only MPs who get automatic raises. All those fat-cat, unionized Federal and Provincial retired employees have indexation applied to their gold-plated, gross pensions. And they get, even in retirement, medical including pharmaceuticals, dental, and eye-glass coverage for the rest of their lives. And on top of that they get the usual OAP and CPP. Snouts in the trough.

[GenesisGT]

It is not only MPs who get automatic raises. All those fat-cat, unionized Federal and Provincial retired employees have indexation applied to their gold-plated, gross pensions. And they get, even in retirement, medical including pharmaceuticals, dental, and eye-glass coverage for the rest of their lives. And on top of that they get the usual OAP and CPP. Snouts in the trough.

First, I am not condoning the pension benefits. But for clarity, their pensions from the employer (gov't) are reduced by the amount received from OAP and CPP.

[Catsumi]

Federal politicians due to get automatic annual raise