The House of Commons recently justified its decision to raise the salary of a New Brunswick MP, emphasizing the necessity to adhere to the set legislative amounts for all Members of Parliament. Eric Janse, the House clerk, explained in a Federal Court affidavit that it would be unlawful and inconvenient to deviate from the prescribed payment regulations. In response to Miramichi-Grand Lake Conservative MP Mike Dawson’s attempt to halt the $8,800 raise through a judicial review application, Janse’s affidavit highlighted the legal obligation to pay MPs according to the Parliament of Canada Act.
Granting Dawson the option to decline the raise would involve significant administrative efforts to calculate and manage a separate sessional allowance for him annually. The base salary for MPs was $208,900 last year, increasing to $217,700 on April 1, in accordance with federal legislation that links MP pay adjustments to private-sector salary trends.
Despite the salary increase, Dawson expressed ethical concerns, citing the financial struggles faced by many Canadians. He compared the simplicity of deducting federal taxes as a business owner to the perceived complexity of rejecting a pay raise electronically. While Dawson has chosen to donate his raise to charity, he argued that MPs should have the right to voice objections to salary adjustments.
Both House of Commons Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia and Janse declined to comment on the case, with a spokesperson mentioning that full legal arguments are anticipated to be presented in the coming months.