The Alberta Liberals want an independent committee to review the pay and benefits given to the province's MLAs.

Under the current system, MLAs and cabinet ministers approve their own salary increases. But Lethbridge MLA Bridget Pastoor thinks pay levels should be set under a more publicly transparent and accountable system. She planned to introduce a motion in the Alberta legislature Monday calling for an independent commission to review MLA pay.

"If we can open this up, then people may have a really fair idea of what we're paid and if they think it's right," she said. "Because I think there is a perception that we are all overpaid and I for one would never say that ... every single MLA sitting in that house doesn't work hard because I know that we all do."

An independent committee could compare Alberta MLA pay levels to those in other jurisdictions, Pastoor said, adding it was a good time to talk about pay at a time when MLA salaries are frozen.

In 2008, Alberta cabinet ministers and Premier Ed Stelmach voted themselves a pay raise of more than 30 per cent. In Oct. 2009, Stelmach said both he and his cabinet ministers were taking cuts to their salary top-ups, the day after he announced the province was freezing the salaries of 6,500 bureaucrats.

At the time, Stelmach said he was taking a cut of 15 percent to his $81,312 premier's allowance. His ministers would reduce their $63,912 cabinet allowance by 10 per cent.

But the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation pointed out the cuts resulted in decreases of only 5.4 per cent to Stelmach's total salary, and 3.2 per cent for cabinet members.

The Liberals aren't the first opposition party to try to take on the MLA pay issue. An NDP motion asking for an independent pay review was voted down by Conservative MLAs when it was brought up late last year in a committee meeting.

In November, the Wildrose Alliance announced the creation of a task force to look at the pay and perks of MLAs, the speaker, cabinet and opposition party leaders.

The task force, chaired by senator-elect Link Byfield, and former Wildrose Alliance leadership candidate Mark Dyrholm, will make recommendations into what they think pay should be after they consult with party members and experts. Those numbers would be used in future Wildrose campaigns.