It’s official: MPPs now earn more
Liberals, Tories join forces to boost their own salaries
http://www.metronews.ca/story.aspx?id=22238
Premier Dalton McGuinty安省省长
After facing criticism on call-in shows and NDP charges of hypocrisy, Liberals and Conservatives in the Ontario legislature joined forces yesterday to give themselves a 25 per cent raise for Christmas as their last act before taking a three-month recess.
The legislature sat overtime this week as the New Democrats tried to stall Premier Dalton McGuinty’s surprise move to give members a $22,000 increase in base salary to more than $110,000 a year.
The legislation also gives cabinet ministers a $31,000 increase to $157,633 a year, while McGuinty himself gets a $39,000 raise to $198,620.
"I believe their attempt to slide through a 31 per cent pay increase for MPPs over the last 10 days indicates just how out of touch they are," said NDP Leader Howard Hampton.
McGuinty admitted he changed his mind after first rejecting the idea of pay raises, and said he thought it only fair that provincial members make 75 per cent of the salary paid to members of Parliament in Ottawa.省议员薪水是国会议员的75％
"What we’re saying to the people of Ontario is, we’ll take the same ridings, we’ll take the same constituents, we’ll do the hard work," McGuinty said.
"We deliver health care, we deliver education, they just give us the money for that stuff, and we’ll do that work for 25 per cent less than the federal MPs."
"In the last 15 years, MPPs had their pay frozen for nine (years), and another year it was cut by 5.5 per cent."
The Liberals and the Tories said the higher salaries will stop members from leaving for greener pastures federally or municipally, and will help attract better candidates for next October’s provincial election.
McGuinty said it would have been easier for him just to ignore the salary increase issue and avoid the criticism and public anger.
"You can never explain it to people because most people think we’re overpaid anyway, so it’s just a difficult subject ― let’s pretend it’s not there," McGuinty said, lowering his voice for dramatic effect.
"The guys on the Hill are getting 40 per cent more than us. People in municipal politics are getting paid more than MPPs. I think it’s time to be fair."
The government and Opposition Conservatives sat mostly silent during the days of debate on the salary hike, forcing the small New Democrat Party caucus to eventually abandon hope of delaying it until public hearings could be held.对自长薪水，新民主党持反对意见
canadian press
RRSPs
* Members of the legislature do not have a pension plan, but the bill allows them to double the contributions to their self-directed RRSPs to 10 per cent of their earnings, which the NDP said means the pay increase actually totals 31 per cent.
Liberals, Tories join forces to boost their own salaries
http://www.metronews.ca/story.aspx?id=22238
Premier Dalton McGuinty安省省长
After facing criticism on call-in shows and NDP charges of hypocrisy, Liberals and Conservatives in the Ontario legislature joined forces yesterday to give themselves a 25 per cent raise for Christmas as their last act before taking a three-month recess.
The legislature sat overtime this week as the New Democrats tried to stall Premier Dalton McGuinty’s surprise move to give members a $22,000 increase in base salary to more than $110,000 a year.
The legislation also gives cabinet ministers a $31,000 increase to $157,633 a year, while McGuinty himself gets a $39,000 raise to $198,620.
"I believe their attempt to slide through a 31 per cent pay increase for MPPs over the last 10 days indicates just how out of touch they are," said NDP Leader Howard Hampton.
McGuinty admitted he changed his mind after first rejecting the idea of pay raises, and said he thought it only fair that provincial members make 75 per cent of the salary paid to members of Parliament in Ottawa.省议员薪水是国会议员的75％
"What we’re saying to the people of Ontario is, we’ll take the same ridings, we’ll take the same constituents, we’ll do the hard work," McGuinty said.
"We deliver health care, we deliver education, they just give us the money for that stuff, and we’ll do that work for 25 per cent less than the federal MPs."
"In the last 15 years, MPPs had their pay frozen for nine (years), and another year it was cut by 5.5 per cent."
The Liberals and the Tories said the higher salaries will stop members from leaving for greener pastures federally or municipally, and will help attract better candidates for next October’s provincial election.
McGuinty said it would have been easier for him just to ignore the salary increase issue and avoid the criticism and public anger.
"You can never explain it to people because most people think we’re overpaid anyway, so it’s just a difficult subject ― let’s pretend it’s not there," McGuinty said, lowering his voice for dramatic effect.
"The guys on the Hill are getting 40 per cent more than us. People in municipal politics are getting paid more than MPPs. I think it’s time to be fair."
The government and Opposition Conservatives sat mostly silent during the days of debate on the salary hike, forcing the small New Democrat Party caucus to eventually abandon hope of delaying it until public hearings could be held.对自长薪水，新民主党持反对意见
canadian press
RRSPs
* Members of the legislature do not have a pension plan, but the bill allows them to double the contributions to their self-directed RRSPs to 10 per cent of their earnings, which the NDP said means the pay increase actually totals 31 per cent.
