B.C. MLAs should vote themselves a pay raise of 29 per cent and reinstate a generous pension plan, says a three-member independent commission appointed by the premier earlier this year.

The commission's report recommends a salary increase of $22,000 a year — from $76,000 to $98,000.

The panel also recommends that the premier get a raise of 53 per cent, an increase of $65,000 a year.

"Boy, I don't think any of them could survive a whole year on what I get. I'd like to switch places with them for a day," said a woman on the street in Victoria.

Pension plans also draw fire

What really concerns Maureen Bader of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation is the proposal to resurrect the B.C. taxpayer-funded pension plan, which was scrapped in 1996.

"The problem with them of course is they are financially unsustainable. And really, it's the height of fiscal irresponsibility, even for a second, to consider bringing one of those things back."

Meanwhile, B.C. Federation of Labour president Jim Sinclair is also opposed to MLAs giving themselves more money.

"There shouldn't even be a discussion of increases for MLAs as long as those same MLAs refuse to raise the minimum wage, which they have frozen for five years."

It's been a year and a half since MLAs tried to give themselves a 15 per cent pay increase. That effort failed after NDP Leader Carole James pulled her support in the face of public outrage.

NDP leader says they'll vote against hefty hikes

She said Wednesday that her MLAs will reject the latest proposed salary increase, saying it's not acceptable to British Columbians.

"When you look at a 29 per cent increase, I don't think there's anyone in the public who would say that's reasonable, or that it meets their test. So we said 'No.'"

James said as far as she's concerned, this report is dead. But if the governing Liberals pass legislation to approve the increase, the NDP members will refuse it.

The NDP leader also said that if the pay and pension issue is revisited, the next panel should be more representative of the public.

Premier Gordon Campbell accuses James of of flip-flopping on the pay issue last time it came up, and said he won't be guided by the NDP's opinion. 

The NDP's decision to reject the raise proposal will have no affect on the discussion he plans to have with the Liberal caucus on the panel's recommendations, Campbell said.