Prime Minister Justin Trudeau along with other members of Parliament got a hefty raise and here’s what you need to know.
As of Monday, Trudeau’s yearly take home pay will sit at more than $400,000.
The office of the House of Commons told Now Toronto on Monday that its cash flow is always adjusted this time every year and that the sessional allowance for MPs will officially stand at $203,100.
“Based on the index of the average percentage increase in base-rate wages for a calendar year in Canada resulting from major settlements negotiated in the private sector (4.4% in 2023). This index is published by Employment and Social Development Canada within three months following the end of each calendar year. The salaries are rounded down to the nearest hundred dollars,” the email statement read.
LET’S DO THE MATH
In Trudeau’s case, this means his base pay as an MP will increase to the same amount as his raise as prime minister, so both have increased to $203,100 from $194,600.
That’s an $8,500 increase for each role, totalling to a $17,000 overall jump in pay from last year, making his total income at $406,200 this year.
Other roles also saw an increase in salary including the Speaker of the House and various ministers.
This includes Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre who now makes $96,800 for his role as the leader of the Opposition in addition with his salary as an MP, which brings his grand total to $299,900 a year.
Some Canadians might be understanding of the raises for our government officials, while others might feel it isn’t fair, especially as the raises come the same day as an increase to the carbon tax, which will rise by $15 per tonne.
According to a poll conducted by The Canadian Taxpayers Federation and Leger, four in five Canadians oppose the MP pay raises. In fact, 62 per cent strongly oppose the increase in salary.
“The poll results are crystal clear: Canadians don’t think MPs deserve another pay raise,” Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director said. “It looks like the only Canadians who strongly support an MP pay raise are probably the politicians themselves.”
The online poll surveyed 1,541 Canadian adults between Mar. 15-18 using Leger’s online panel. For comparative purposes, the poll has a margin of error of 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
