N.B. commission may update MLA pay scale

A special commission is reviewing thepay scale and perks for New Brunswick's top legislators, the first such review indecades.

MLA salaries and their pensions are being examined, and the compensation model may change based on the report from the independent commission led by provincial Conflict of Interest Commissioner Patrick Ryan.

The base pay for a New Brunswick MLA is $45,000, plus a $22,000 non-taxable allowance.

Ryan is asking MLAs about how their jobs have changed since 1980, the last time such a review took place.

"The amount of time they spend in sessions, the amount of time they spend in committees, the amount of time they spend travelling, the amount of time that they're doing work in their constituencies," Ryan said.

One possible change could be the elimination of the tax-free allowance, which would be lumped into the base salary, and adjusted for tax.

According to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, that works out to about $82,000.

John Williamson, the federation's national director, says that would be a step in the right direction.

"If that's the thing the provincial review board is going to look at, we applaud that because it would bring transparency and accountability to this process and structure."

The commission is asking for public input through newspaper ads and the commission's website.

Ryan's report will be presented to the legislature in the next session.