Nova Scotia MLAs set for big pay hike, back pay

Nova Scotia MLAs are set to receive a pay raise for the first time since 2013.

Provincial politicians in Nova Scotia are set to get significant pay raises for the first time in more than a decade following recommendations in a government report, but it’s not sitting well with some taxpayers.

Finance Minister John Lohr says the pay hike for MLAs is long overdue.

“There hasn’t been a raise since 2013 and this puts us in the middle of the pack for all of Canada for MLAs,” said Lohr. “And every one of the MLAs here, all 55 of us, work very hard.”

The pay raise recommendations come from a report by a three-member independent review panel including executive deputy ministers Tracey Taweel and Kelliann Dean, and deputy minister Jennifer Glennie.

Their recommendations included:

- increase the annual indemnity payable to MLAs to $115,000 from $89,234

- increase the additional salary payable to the Speaker to $63,250 from $49,046

- increase the additional salary payable to the deputy Speaker to $26,450 from $24,523

- increase the additional salary payable to the leader of the opposition to $63,250 from $49,046

- increase the additional salary payable to the leader of a recognized party to $37,950 from $24,523

- increase the additional salary payable to the premier to $115,748 from $101,545

- increase the additional salary payable to a minister with portfolio to $63,250 from $49,046

- decrease the maximum additional salary payable to a minister without portfolio to $40,250 from $49,046

If the recommendations are approved, then MLAs’ pay raises will be retroactive to December 2024.

That doesn’t sit well with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, which is disappointed with the report and slammed the timing of it as it was released not long after the PC government tabled its first budget since the November election.

“It was a very sneaky move for this to come out yesterday while everyone was distracted by the provincial budget,” said Devin Drover, lead counsel for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

The $17.6 billion budget shows big spending by the Houston government but it also runs a major forecasted deficit of nearly $700 million.

Drover says those kinds of numbers don’t signal to him that a pay raise is warranted at this time.

“Normally you don’t see people getting pay raises when they aren’t doing their job correctly and if you look at the size of the provincial deficit announced in the budget yesterday, it’s hard to see if the government is living within their own means,” said Drover.

Four years ago, Premier Tim Houston shot down the idea of increased salaries, but he’s since changed his perspective.

“The committee did some work, they made some recommendations, and I think it’s time now that MLAs accept those recommendations,” said Houston.

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