Idea of a raise for N.L. MHAs garners mixed bag of reactions

$95,000 a year. That's currently what Newfoundland and Labrador MHAs make. But a recent independent report recommends that it's time for a bump. $1,000 to $2,000 rates. So what do taxpayers think of this? I don't know. For that much, I don't know. I can't say I really agree on it. I mean, everyone deserves a raise after a little bit, but I mean, for what they're doing and what they're doing for all of us, I don't think it's really needed, to be honest. prices of everything everything's through the roof right so like i think that you gotta look at the bigger picture and like everybody's kind of struggling now right um and i think that maybe that money could go elsewhere to help other people the recommendation comes from the province's members compensation review committee or MCRC a committee that looks into political compensation this report by lawyer Heather Jacobs says that boosting the base pay will encourage more diverse candidates to run. As it stands, local MHAs make $95,000 a year, a number that hasn't budged since 2009. I think it's probably long overdue. I mean, they last got a raise in 2009. And I mean, inflation, even just keeping up with inflation, I don't think that would do that. I mean, I don't know. Democracy costs money. It's important for decision makers to be pulling from a pool of competent, qualified people. So I don't really see anything wrong with the raise for them. Some of them, I think it's worth it. Some of them aren't worth it. Meanwhile, Devin Drover from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation says what MHAs need to think about is who's paying for this increase. If you look at the median earnings, if you're someone that's earning minimum wage, for example, you're making about $32,000, $33,000 a year. This raise is almost two-thirds of that. So it clearly can come off as insulting to the People are struggling to make ends meet. And, you know, the other thing is if you consider a pensioner who's on a fixed income, you know, they're not going to see a 23% increase either. And, you know, the question, if we give MHAs a 23% salary increase, is service quality going to get better in the province by 23%? Are we going to get a 23% improvement in education or health care? I doubt it. So it's, you know, at a time when a lot of people are struggling, it's still hard for a lot of taxpayers to stomach this much of a pay increase, if any pay increase at all. This report is heading to the House of Assembly on October 21st, when MHAs will decide to accept, reject, or adjust the recommendations. Matt Spacco, CBC News, St. John's.