The House of Commons has stated that it was obligatory to raise the salary of a Member of Parliament from New Brunswick, regardless of their personal preference. In a sworn statement submitted to the Federal Court, House clerk Eric Janse emphasized that all MPs must receive the specified amounts as mandated by legislation, with any deviation being considered illegal and impractical.
Miramichi-Grand Lake Conservative MP Mike Dawson had sought a judicial review in June to oppose the $8,800 raise being granted to him by Parliament. In response, Janse filed an affidavit last month asserting that the sessional allowance for the applicant must be paid in accordance with the Parliament of Canada Act, including all relevant annual adjustments.
Granting Dawson the option to decline the raise would necessitate special administrative actions by House staff to calculate and manage a separate sessional allowance for him each year as long as he serves as an MP. The base salary for MPs was $208,900 last year and increased to $217,700 on April 1, following a formula tied to private-sector salary increases as per federal legislation.
Despite the raise, Dawson expressed discomfort accepting the additional $8,800 considering the financial challenges faced by many Canadians. He compared the simplicity of deducting federal taxes from employees’ pay as a business owner to the ease of handling electronic pay adjustments. Dawson has been donating his raise to charity but believes he should have the right to refuse it entirely.
House of Commons Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia and Janse declined to comment on the matter through their spokesperson, Olivier Duhaime. Detailed legal arguments for the case are expected to be submitted within the next two months.