The House of Commons has stated that it was mandatory to increase the salary of a Member of Parliament from New Brunswick, regardless of his preference. House clerk Eric Janse, in an affidavit submitted to the Federal Court, emphasized that all MPs must receive the stipulated amounts as per legislation, with any deviation being both illegal and impractical.
Miramichi-Grand Lake Conservative MP Mike Dawson had filed for a judicial review in June to halt the $8,800 raise. In response, Janse submitted an affidavit last month asserting that the sessional allowance for the applicant must adhere to the amounts specified in the Parliament of Canada Act, along with any applicable annual adjustments.
Granting Dawson the option to decline the raise would necessitate specific administrative actions for him alone, requiring a separate calculation of his sessional allowance annually as long as he holds office. MP salaries were $208,900 last year and increased to $217,700 on April 1 in accordance with federal legislation that links MP pay adjustments to private-sector salary increments.
Dawson expressed his belief that accepting the $8,800 raise during a time when many Canadians are facing financial challenges is inappropriate. Drawing on his experience as a business owner, he highlighted the simplicity of deducting federal taxes from employee wages, indicating that refusing the raise should not pose a significant complexity.
Despite donating his raise to charity, Dawson insisted on his right to object to the raise entirely. House of Commons Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia’s spokesperson, Olivier Duhaime, mentioned that neither Scarpaleggia nor Janse would provide interviews on the matter. Full legal arguments for the case are anticipated to be submitted in the coming two months.
