Reduce pay for N.L. politicians: report
Last Updated: Monday, November 2, 2009 | 1:44 PM NT
CBC News
A provincial government report released Monday is recommending a salary freeze and possibly a pay rollback for Newfoundland and Labrador politicians.
The eight per cent raise members of the house of assembly received this summer should be rolled back and their wages should be frozen until after the next election, says the compensation review committee.
The current annual pay for an MHA in Newfoundland and Labrador is $102,984.
The committee is also recommending changes to members' pensions that would cap them at 70 per cent of their salaries, compared to the current 75 per cent.
The committee also recommends that members who resign before their term in office has expired should not be eligible for severance pay. An exception should be made for members who resign due to personal illness or a serious family illness, the report says.
On June 26, 2006, Premier Danny Williams asked Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador Chief Justice J.D. Green to evaluate compensation received by MHAs, including constituency allowances, salary levels and pension benefits.
Williams appointed Green after reports by Auditor General John Noseworthy found four politicians representing all three N.L. political parties received more than $1 million in excess payments from their constituency allowances, which are intended to pay for offices, travel, promotional items and other expenses incurred in dealing with constituents.
Noseworthy also reported that more than $2.6 million was paid to three companies for trinkets like lapel pins and fridge magnets over a seven-year period, while an additional $170,000 went to a company owned by the legislature's former director of financial operations, Bill Murray.
The four politicians — Progressive Conservative Ed Byrne, New Democrat Randy Collins and Liberals Wally Andersen and Jim Walsh — were charged in connection with the misspent money.
Three of them, Byrne, Andersen and Collins have been convicted in court. Walsh is still on trial.
