While Canadians dread the looming increase in carbon tax on April 1, members of Parliament will celebrate their third pay increase during the pandemic..As of April 1, it is estimated senators and backbench MPs will see a $10,802 increase to $164,702 and $189,702 respectively..Ministers will see an estimated increase of $15,865 to $280,265 and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will see a pay hike of $21,604 to $379,404..In late January, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) released a report showing MPs received two pay hikes during the pandemic with their next increase coming in less than a month on April 1..The report also revealed 528,347 federal and provincial government employees received pay raises, all while millions of Canadians struggled through the pandemic with pay cuts, loss of employment and crumbling businesses. .CTF Federal Director Franco Terrazzano said it’s disappointing the Canadian government “isn’t willing to share in the struggles of fellow Canadians through these tough times” and continue to collect their automatic pay raises..“This is an absolute slap in the face to the millions of Canadians who have struggled through the pandemic,” said Terrazzano..“It’s wrong for politicians to pocket bigger paycheques while the people they represent suffer through a pandemic, pay cuts, job and business losses.”.Terrazzano points to a recent Leger poll commissioned by the CTF showing 79% of Canadians do not support MPs collecting their third pandemic pay raise on April 1. The poll surveyed 1,537 Canadians between Feb.11 and 13, 2022..“MPs give themselves pay raises each year on April 1, based on the average year-one increase in private-sector union contracts with corporations that have more than 500 employees,” said the CTF in a news release..“It shouldn’t be rocket science for MPs to do the right thing and stop taking bigger salaries during the pandemic,” said Terrazzano, who highlighted how the Harper government froze pay increases between 2010 to 2013 during the economic fallout from the 2008 financial crisis..“Even in New Zealand, the Prime Minister and ministers took a 20% pay cut for six months to show solidarity with their citizens during the pandemic,” said Terrazzano..The CTF said it identified four jurisdictions in Canada where politicians took pay cuts at some point during the pandemic including in Halifax, Lethbridge, Burnaby and Vancouver..Canada’s federal carbon tax is set to rise for the third time on April 1 to 11 cents per litre of gasoline..The CTF has been calling for the federal government to immediately remove fuel taxes at the pump as prices soar..Melanie Risdon is a reporter with the Western Standard.,.mrisdon@westernstandardonline.com
While Canadians dread the looming increase in carbon tax on April 1, members of Parliament will celebrate their third pay increase during the pandemic..As of April 1, it is estimated senators and backbench MPs will see a $10,802 increase to $164,702 and $189,702 respectively..Ministers will see an estimated increase of $15,865 to $280,265 and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will see a pay hike of $21,604 to $379,404..In late January, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) released a report showing MPs received two pay hikes during the pandemic with their next increase coming in less than a month on April 1..The report also revealed 528,347 federal and provincial government employees received pay raises, all while millions of Canadians struggled through the pandemic with pay cuts, loss of employment and crumbling businesses. .CTF Federal Director Franco Terrazzano said it’s disappointing the Canadian government “isn’t willing to share in the struggles of fellow Canadians through these tough times” and continue to collect their automatic pay raises..“This is an absolute slap in the face to the millions of Canadians who have struggled through the pandemic,” said Terrazzano..“It’s wrong for politicians to pocket bigger paycheques while the people they represent suffer through a pandemic, pay cuts, job and business losses.”.Terrazzano points to a recent Leger poll commissioned by the CTF showing 79% of Canadians do not support MPs collecting their third pandemic pay raise on April 1. The poll surveyed 1,537 Canadians between Feb.11 and 13, 2022..“MPs give themselves pay raises each year on April 1, based on the average year-one increase in private-sector union contracts with corporations that have more than 500 employees,” said the CTF in a news release..“It shouldn’t be rocket science for MPs to do the right thing and stop taking bigger salaries during the pandemic,” said Terrazzano, who highlighted how the Harper government froze pay increases between 2010 to 2013 during the economic fallout from the 2008 financial crisis..“Even in New Zealand, the Prime Minister and ministers took a 20% pay cut for six months to show solidarity with their citizens during the pandemic,” said Terrazzano..The CTF said it identified four jurisdictions in Canada where politicians took pay cuts at some point during the pandemic including in Halifax, Lethbridge, Burnaby and Vancouver..Canada’s federal carbon tax is set to rise for the third time on April 1 to 11 cents per litre of gasoline..The CTF has been calling for the federal government to immediately remove fuel taxes at the pump as prices soar..Melanie Risdon is a reporter with the Western Standard.,.mrisdon@westernstandardonline.com
