B.C. members of the legislature on Thursday wrapped up the spring session with a bill that will give them salary increases of 29 per cent and reinstate a pension plan.

The legislation passed 43-30, with the governing Liberals voting in favour of the bill and the NDP voting against it.

However, three NDP MLAs skipped the vote. They included Harry Lali, who created a stir last month when he said he planned to vote in favour of the raise.

He later apologized to the caucus, and was stripped of his critic's duties and resigned as vice-chair of the caucus.

The other two NDP MLAs who were absent from the house were Corky Evans and Claire Trevena.

NDP Leader Carole James is defending the three, telling CBC Radio on Friday that they had been given leave for a variety of reasons.

She told The Early Edition's Rick Cluff that the three will continue to uphold the NDP caucus opposition to the raises, and will be donating their money to charity with the other New Democrat MLAs.

On the government side of the house, Premier Gordon Campbell and Solicitor General John Les also missed the vote.

Raises too much: NDP leader

James said she doesn't oppose a reasonable pay increase, but feels this raise is simply too high.
 
"I don't know anyone in the public or private sector that would expect to get 29 per cent in one raise. And even more obscene was the premier's 54 per cent.

"At a time when the premier says 'no' to increasing the minimum wage for people making $8 an hour, he's quite willing to take his pay raise and run."

The bill boosts MLA paycheques to $98,000 a year, while the premier will now get $186,000 annually.