The House of Commons has stated that it was necessary to raise the salary of a Member of Parliament from New Brunswick, regardless of his willingness to accept the increase. In a legal document submitted to the Federal Court, House clerk Eric Janse emphasized that all MPs must receive the specified payment amounts as mandated by legislation, and any deviation from this would be unlawful and impractical.
Miramichi-Grand Lake Conservative MP Mike Dawson had sought a judicial review in June to block the $8,800 raise, prompting Janse to respond with an affidavit last month. The House Administration asserted 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 for him, requiring separate calculations of his sessional allowance each year for the duration of his tenure 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 escalations.
Dawson expressed his belief that accepting the raise amid financial struggles faced by many Canadians is unjust. He highlighted his experience as a business owner, noting the simplicity of deducting federal taxes from employees’ pay and suggesting a similar ease in handling the raise electronically.
While Dawson has chosen to donate his raise to charity, he advocated for the right to object to it entirely. House of Commons Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia’s spokesperson, Olivier Duhaime, mentioned that Scarpaleggia and Janse are unavailable for interviews on the matter, with full legal arguments expected to be submitted within the next two months.