NDP will take 29% pay raise, donate it to charity

Canada.com

The NDP will vote against an "obscene" 29-per-cent pay raise for MLAs, but take the extra money and give it to charity if the bill passes, Opposition Leader Carole James said today. In a move quickly condemned as "hypocritical" by the Liberal government, the NDP also plans to take advantage of the improved pension plan, which is based on the newly inflated salaries. The Liberals had tried to trap the NDP by tabling legislation this week that required MLAs to accept the pay raise within seven days of it becoming law, or never get it, no matter how long they remain in office. The bill will boost MLAs' base salary to $98,000 from $76,100, while Premier Gordon Campbell's wage will rise 54 per cent, to $186,200 from $121,100. James, cabinet ministers, parliamentary secretaries, speakers and caucus officers will also receive sizable boosts to their extra-duty pay.

But in a two-hour meeting Thursday night, the NDP caucus decided against playing the Liberals' "political games" of opting in or opting out, James said. Instead, everyone in her caucus will take their after-tax pay raise, donate to a charity of their choice, and report openly on that donation to their constituents. Then, in the next election, the NDP platform will lay out what the party feels is a fair and reasonable raise.

All of which prompted government house leader Mike de Jong to accuse James of saying one thing by voting against the pay raise, and then doing another by taking the money and the pension. "In 14 years, I have never seen such a botched example of leadership," he said. "Talk about leading a caucus into the valley of death time and time again. "I mean, there was negotiations a year and a half ago, right? She cuts her house leader off at the knees, leaves him twisting in the wind. Then says, 'Let's have an independent panel. That's the way to go.' Leads her caucus into that process, encourages them to go make submissions, then when the panel makes recommendations, cuts her own caucus off at the knees again. " It is a remarkable example of just brutal lack of leadership."

James said she plans to give at least part of her substantial pay raise to the Mary Manning Centre in her riding. The centre, which helps children recover from child sexual abuse, has been forced to layoff three part-time therapists after the Ministry of Children and Family Development rebuffed its request for additional money.