Ontario politicians need a substantial pay increase to avoid becoming a "farm team" for Parliament Hill, says the province's integrity commissioner.

But some MPPs are already opposing the idea.

The report, tabled in the legislature Thursday by Integrity Commissioner Coulter Osborne, comes days after the auditor general reported spending abuses, and less than a year before the next provincial election.

Osborne warns in his report, though, that if MPPs don't decide to give themselves a raise, they risk fewer and fewer people willing to work at Queen's Park.

"Over time, the provincial legislature runs the risk of being seen as a farm team for the House of Commons.''

Ontario politicians earn a base salary of $88,771, while Ottawa backbenchers earn nearly double that with a base salary of $147,700.

He warns that low salaries for MPPs may not only drive them to Ottawa, but also to city politics, since some municipal councillors earn more than backbenchers.

Some councillors, with a base salary of $95,000 a year, earn more than MPPs, he wrote.

"It's a serious issue, and we'd better take a look at it," said Progressive Conservative MPP Liz Witmer. "You know what, we'll need to make some decisions."

But while some recognize the looming problem, it is unlikely it will be resolved soon.

Any large pay raise would need all-party agreement and the NDP has already warned it would make it an election issue if it goes ahead.

"The most dangerous work is one that results in a bruised or a pricked ego," said NDP house Leader Peter Kormos, adding that for MPPs, "the most dangerous injury is a paper cut."

Osborne's report warns, however, that members are paid less than many police officers, teachers, tool-and-die makers, and judges. "The list goes on," he wrote.