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Some MPs donate their automatic salary increase to charities in effort to help fight COVID-19

This year, MPs received a 2.1 per cent pay increase. This raised MPs' base salary by just more than $3,756 annually, from $178,900 to $182,656. With all 338 MPs receiving the pay bump, the total increase in expenditures on MP salaries is just short of $1.3-million. With the pay increase now in effect, MPs' base salaries cost just under $62-million annually.

Hilltimes.com
April 14, 2020
Aidan Chamandy

MPs from all political parties, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, and Green Party Parliamentary Leader Elizabeth May, say they’re donating their automatic 2.1 per cent salary increase this year to various local, national, and international charities and non-profits to help the fight the negative economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and some are also helping local food banks deliver supplies.

MPs receive a legislatively mandated pay increase every year on April 1 based on a government aggregate of wage settlements maintained by Employment and Social Development Canada. The law, Bill C-30, was passed in April 2005 in an attempt to depoliticize legislators’ salary increases.

Despite some clamouring among MPs, the government has not indicated its intention to introduce legislation to stop the annual pay increases, as was the case for three years following the 2008 recession. Mr. Andrew Scheer (Regina-Qu’appelle, Sask.) and Mr. Singh (Burnaby South, B.C.) have both indicated they would support such legislation, but said it is incumbent upon the government to do so.

“This is a legislated pay raise that, given the current state of affairs in our country, is not only untimely but frankly, it’s in poor taste,” wrote Conservative MP Blaine Calkins (Red Deer-Lacombe, Alta.) in a joint statement with fellow Conservative MP Earl Dreeshen (Red Deer-Mountain View, Alta.). “Conservative MPs raised this issue to the Liberal government and thus far no legislation has been brought forward to address it. As individual MPs, we can’t stop the legislated pay raise from happening; however, we can decide what to do with it.”

Conservative MP MP Earl Dreeshen (Red Deer-Mountain View, Alta.) and Conservative Mp Blaine Calkins (Red Deer-Lacombe, Alta.) are donating their automatic salary increases to charities. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

The two MPs did not indicate which charity they intend to donate to, though did say it would be a local charity, and referred The Hill Times to their statement.

This year, MPs received a 2.1 per cent pay increase. This raised MPs’ base salary by just more than $3,750 annually, from $178,900 to $182,656. With all 338 MPs receiving the pay bump, the total increase in expenditures on MP salaries is just short of $1.3-million. With the pay increase now in effect, MPs’ base salaries cost just under $62-million annually.

Senators, who earn $25,000 less than MPs, are also subject to the mandatory pay raise. Members of the Red Chamber saw a 2.4 per cent increase, bringing their base salary up from $153,900 to $157,656.

Federal legislators who have additional responsibilities, including the prime minister, cabinet ministers, parliamentary secretaries, the Speaker of the House, and the leader of the opposition, receive additional pay on top of their base MP salary. For example, the prime minister is entitled to twice the base MP salary, while the leader of the opposition, Speaker of the House, and ministers get an extra $87,200. These figures do not include additional allowances for cars, residences, and other associated expenses.

Government House Leader Pablo Rodriguez helping out a charity in his riding of Honore-Mercier, Que. Photograph courtesy of Mr. Rodriguez’s Twitter

Prime Minister Trudeau (Papineau, Que.), Mr. Scheer, and Mr. Singh have all said they will donate their salary increases to charity. Several ministers, including Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller (Ville-Marie-Le Sud-Ouest-Ile-des-Sœurs, Que.), Government House Leader Pablo Rodriguez (Honore-Mercier, Que.), Seniors Minister Deb Schulte (King-Vaughan, Ont.), Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna (Ottawa Centre, Ont.) and Small Business and International Trade Minister Mary Ng (Markham-Thornhill, Ont.), have also pledged to donate their increase to charities.

“As set out in the Parliament Act, all MPs are to receive a pay increase today. I am giving mine to charitable organizations in my riding. Their work is essential and my heart is with them. Together, we will get through this crisis!” Mr. Rodriguez wrote in an April 1 tweet.

Six Liberal MPs representing Ontario’s York Region came together and put out a joint press release saying they would be putting their donations towards helping York Region’s “most vulnerable.” The MPs included Ms. Schulte and Ms. Ng, along with Tony Van Bynen (Newmarket-Aurora, Ont.), Majid Jowhari (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Francesco Sorbara (Vaughan-Woodbridge, Ont.) and Helena Jaczek (Markham-Stouffville, Ont.).

“Everyone in the York Region is feeling the direct impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the extraordinary time that our country is facing. As Members of Parliament, we are here to serve the people in our communities and we need to be there for them now more than ever in this difficult time. We thank all our residents for continuing to heed the advice of our public health officials to stay home, practise physical distancing and wash your hands often,” said the MPs in their joint statement on April 1.

Liberal MPs representing Ontario’s York Region came together and put out a joint press release saying they would be putting their donations towards helping York Region’s ‘most vulnerable,’ including Mary Ng (Markham-Thornhill, Ont.), top left, Tony Van Bynen (Newmarket-Aurora, Ont.), Majid Jowhari (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Francesco Sorbara (Vaughan-Woodbridge, Ont.) and Helena Jaczek (Markham-Stouffville, Ont.). Photographs courtesy of handouts

The money will be given to various local organizations, including the Vaughan Food Bank, Markham-Stouffville Hospital, Southlake Regional Health Centre, and Mackenzie Health Vaughan Hospital.

Ms. Jaczek is a medical doctor who had a long career in and around public health before making the jump to politics. She was in general practice at the Women’s College Hospital before moving to head York Region’s public health unit for nearly two decades. While an Ontario MPP, she served in various cabinet roles, including as minister of health and long term care after Eric Hoskins resigned in 2018. She said her “long affiliation” and “great respect for the people working in the hospital” caused her to donate to the Markham-Stouffville Hospital Foundation.

“It was an obvious choice for me,” she said.

Ms. McKenna tweeted on April 1 that she was giving to the Ottawa Food Bank, the Parkdale Food Centre, and the Cornerstone Housing for Women. “As of April, I got an automatic raise in my MP salary. In the face of this pandemic and with so many in need in our community, I’m donating my salary increase to local organizations @Ottawafoodbank, @parkdalefoodk, and @hopecornerstone. If you can, please consider donating too,” Ms. McKenna tweeted.

Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller donated to Welcome Hall Mission in Montreal, pictured here, and Onkwawenna Kentyohkwa in Six Nations teaching Kanien’keha to Indigenous adults. Photograph courtesy of Mr. Miller’s Twitter

Mr. Sorbara said on Twitter that he gave to the Vaughan Food Bank. Mr. Van Bynen gave to the Southlake Regional Health Centre. Mr. Van Bynen and his wife also participated in some food deliveries with the Newmarket Food Bank. Mr. Jowhari did not respond to a request for comment by filing deadline, and his social media accounts did not indicate which charity he gave to.

Like the Liberal MPs representing York Region, Hamilton-area NDP MPs Matthew Green (Hamilton Centre, Ont.) and Scott Duvall (Hamilton Mountain, Ont.) are also donating to local charities.

Hamilton-area NDP MPs Matthew Green (Hamilton Centre, Ont.) and Scott Duvall (Hamilton Mountain, Ont.) are also donating to local charities. Photographs courtesy of Twitter

Mr. Green said he and Mr. Duvall “couldn’t reconcile accepting that cost of living pay raise” when so many “everyday Canadians are facing extreme hardship.”

Mr. Green said he has already donated to the Disability Justice Network’s Care Mongering program. The program provides hygiene and sanitary products to communities and individuals in need. Mr. Duvall donated to Neighbour to Neighbour, a distribution hub for food banks across Hamilton.

Green Party Parliamentary Leader Elizabeth May (Saanich-Gulf-Islands, B.C.) said her three-member caucus, which includes Jenica Atwin (Fredericton, N.B) and Paul Manly (Naniamo-Ladysmith, B.C.) would each be donating their increases to local charities. Ms. May is already a regular charitable contributor, and said the pay increase “would just allow me to do more charitable donations.”

Ms. May said she gives to various environmental organizations, charities associated with refugees, homeless, and more.

Conservative MP Marc Dalton (Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge, B.C.) gave to the Friends in Need Food Bank and the Salvation Army, according to an interview he gave to The Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge News, while fellow Conservative MP Tamara Jansen (Cloverdale-Langley City, B.C.) split her donation between theSurrey/North Delta Meals on Wheels, Cloverdale Community Kitchen, Surrey Food Bank and the Fraser Regional Aboriginal Friendship Centre, according to The Aldergrove Star.

Despite the federal government not taking action against the pay raises, at least one provincial legislature has suspended planned pay raises. B.C. MLA’s voted unanimously to cancel this year’s planned raise, which would’ve amounted to approximately $2,500 per year.