B.C. Liberal party backs 29-per-cent pay hike

Updated Thu. May. 3 2007 8:30 AM ET CTV.CA Associated Press

VICTORIA -- The B.C. Liberal party decided late Wednesday to back a 29-per-cent pay hike recommended by an independent, arms-length commission despite a rejection of the package by the Opposition New Democrats.

Dale Steeves, a communications spokesman for the Liberals, said the party plans to introduce legislation as soon as possible to support its position. NDP Leader Carole James said early Wednesday that her party rejected the recommendation through a consensus decision taken by her 33 members. "When you take a look at a 29-per cent (pay) increase I don't think there is anyone in the public that thinks that's reasonable or would meet their test, so we said no.'' The NDP caucus met Tuesday evening to discuss the report, which was tabled in the legislature earlier in the day. The report recommended a $22,000 hike in MLAs' base salary and the reinstatement of a pension plan scrapped more than a decade ago. Premier Gordon Campbell said then that "public life is an important part of our public institutions.'' He later added: "I'm not going to be guided by what the NDP does or does not do.'' Campbell acknowledged MLA pay is a "hot button'' issue when he appointed the panel _ two senior B.C. lawyers and a university professor _ in January, giving them 90 days to report back to the legislature.

In November 2005, B.C. lawmakers voted themselves a 15-per cent increase to their base pay of about $76,000. But the NDP pulled out after a public outcry and the bill was repealed. "We worked with the NDP for six months in 2005 with the undertaking of their leader, and within, frankly, 24 hours she changed her mind,'' Campbell said Wednesday. This time around, however, James said she supported the independent commission approach, but felt the panel appointed by Campbell was not representative of ordinary British Columbians. She said the premier went ahead and named the panelists with no input from the NDP. "We weren't asked,'' said James, who felt the addition of a public sector union official or a senior citizen may have resulted in a more balanced report.

The report tabled Tuesday recommended a 29 per cent increase to basic MLA salary to $98,000, up from the current $76,100. The premier would get a 54-per cent salary hike to $186,200 annually. The new salaries would be retroactive to April 1. Other recommendations included changes to the allowance MLAs are given to pay their accommodation in the capital, changes to their travel allowances, winding up the MLA Group RRSP plan, the reinstatement of a defined benefit pension plan and the establishment of an independent tribunal to review the MLA compensation issue every second parliament beginning in 2013. Campbell would not speculate on how his members might be feeling about the recommendations prior to the full caucus discussion. But he was clearly frustrated over the issue. "No one likes politicians to deal with (this pay issue.) We just haven't found a better way of dealing with it yet,'' Campbell said.