British Columbia's MLAs were among the highest-paid elected officials in North America in 2025, despite the province's high taxes and weak economic performance, according to a new report from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.The report found B.C. MLAs earned a base salary of $119,500 in 2025, more than double the median salary of an American state representative and above the median pay for Canadian provincial legislators.According to the CTF, the median Canadian provincial politician earned $113,637 last year, compared with $45,002 for the median American state representative."B.C. politicians are among the highest paid in North America, but they're delivering terrible results for taxpayers," said Carson Binda, the CTF's B.C. director."Giving bigger paycheques to politicians doesn't lead to better results for families."The report also points to broader economic indicators, noting B.C. has one of the highest combined top marginal income tax rates in Canada and the United States while ranking near the bottom in GDP per capita.According to the CTF, B.C. has the fourth-highest top marginal tax rate and the 15th-lowest GDP per capita among Canadian provinces and U.S. states.The report also cites S&P Global, which warned that "B.C.'s budgetary performance will be the weakest of peers, both domestic and international."The CTF further criticized the provincial government's latest budget, saying it increases taxes by 16% on a family of four earning $100,000 annually.."MLAs in Victoria are some of the highest paid while charging some of the highest taxes in North America," Binda said. "We're paying premium prices for bargain-bin results from the government benches."Despite the findings, B.C. MLAs approved another pay increase, raising their base salary to approximately $122,000 in 2026."The last thing MLAs should be doing is lining their pockets with more taxpayer cash," Binda said. "British Columbians are facing big costs from the province and deserve politicians focused on lowering their bills, not padding their own paycheques."The Canadian Taxpayers Federation's Subnational Politician Pay Report compares compensation for provincial legislators across Canada with elected representatives in U.S. state legislatures.
