The House of Commons has stated that it was necessary to raise the salary of a Member of Parliament (MP) from New Brunswick, regardless of the MP’s desire to decline the increase. House clerk Eric Janse, in an affidavit submitted to the Federal Court, emphasized that all MPs are legally entitled to receive the specified amounts outlined in legislation, and any deviation from this would be unlawful and impractical.
Miramichi-Grand Lake Conservative MP Mike Dawson had initiated legal proceedings in June by filing for a judicial review in an attempt to prevent Parliament from granting him the $8,800 raise. In response, Janse submitted an affidavit last month asserting that the sessional allowance for the applicant must align with the amounts mandated by the Parliament of Canada Act, including annual adjustments.
Granting Dawson the option to reject the raise would necessitate special administrative measures by House staff to calculate and maintain a separate sessional allowance for him each year as long as he serves as an MP. Last year, the base salary for MPs was $208,900, which increased to $217,700 on April 1 in accordance with federal legislation that links MP pay to a formula based on private-sector salary increases.
Despite the raise, Dawson expressed his belief that accepting an $8,800 increase amidst financial challenges faced by many Canadians is inappropriate. Drawing from his experience as a business owner, Dawson highlighted the ease of deducting federal taxes from employees’ pay and argued that refusing the raise should not pose significant complications.
The first-term MP has chosen to donate his raise to charity but advocates for the ability to outrightly object to it. House of Commons Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia’s spokesperson, Olivier Duhaime, mentioned that Scarpaleggia and Janse are unavailable for interviews on this matter. Full legal arguments for the case are anticipated to be submitted within the next two months.