Members of the British Columbia legislature have retreated over the issue of giving themselves a 15 per cent pay raise.

The politicians will not be getting the wage increase they approved for themselves in the legislature just last Thursday, which was due to take effect on April 1.

Liberal house leader Mike de Jong introduced a bill to repeal the wage increase after the NDP said it wouldn't support it.

Mike de Jong

De Jong said he thought he had unanimous support from both parties in the House. But on Friday, NDP Leader Carole James backtracked, suggesting the issue of MLAs salaries be put instead to an independent commission.

On Monday, de Jong took a shot at James as he introduced the bill to overturn the raise. "Clearly the conditions of bipartisan support for Bill 17 no longer exist," said de Jong, "and it cannot and will not take effect."

The original decision led to a public outcry over the pay increase as well as the reinstatement of a generous pension plan for the 79 B.C. MLAs that had been done away with in 1996.

Carole James (CP file photo)

B.C. Green party Leader Adriane Carr says it was a mistake that James could have predicted.

"It's a little late. She should have anticipated the public reaction. Not only that. She should have anticipated the ethics of this. This decision is not one that they should have been making for themselves," said Carr.

Premier Gordon Campbell has defended the pay increase, saying MLAs need more compensation. He also says he asked the NDP leader last Thursday if she wanted to refer the issue to an independent commission and that James said she did not.

James says the premier made no such offer.