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 willingness to accept the raise. House clerk Eric Janse, in an affidavit submitted to the Federal Court, emphasized that all MPs must receive the specified amounts as outlined in legislation, and any deviation from this would be unlawful and impractical.
Conservative MP Mike Dawson from Miramichi-Grand Lake had sought a judicial review in the Federal Court in June to prevent Parliament from granting him an $8,800 salary increase. In response, Janse filed an affidavit last month, asserting that the sessional allowance for the applicant must be paid according to the Parliament of Canada Act, including all relevant annual adjustments.
Granting Dawson the option to decline the raise would necessitate special administrative procedures by House staff to calculate and maintain a separate sessional allowance for him each year throughout his term as an MP. The base salary for MPs was $208,900 last year and increased to $217,700 on April 1, following a formula tied to private-sector wage increases as per federal legislation.
Dawson expressed his belief that accepting an $8,800 raise amid financial struggles faced by many Canadians was inappropriate. He highlighted his experience as a business owner, where deducting federal taxes from employees’ pay was a straightforward process that should not be overly complex.
The MP has chosen to donate his raise to charity but advocates for the right to object to the raise entirely. House of Commons Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia’s spokesperson, Olivier Duhaime, mentioned that neither Scarpaleggia nor Janse were available for interviews on the matter. Full legal arguments for the case are anticipated to be submitted within the next two months.