Premier and minister's pay raises under fire by opposition
'It's rich that the government feels that they are owed a salary increase,' says NDP
Premier Brian Brian Pallister and his cabinet ministers are getting salary increases because of a clause in Manitoba's balanced budget legislation and so far the new government has no plans to change the rules.
Pallister will get $71,000 this year above his salary as an MLA. Former Premier Greg Selinger's pay packet was 20% smaller - a penalty for running deficits while in government.
The legislation allows for a year's grace period for incoming governments to avoid salary penalties and still run a deficit.
The opposition NDP used the salary increases as a club to beat on the government in Question Period at the Legislature today.
"It's rich that the government feels that they are owed a salary increase that they are unwilling to do the same for folks that are at the minimum wage and more specifically on seniors—that they are not willing to make life affordable; to make sure that seniors can stay in their homes, afford life, be comfortable and enjoy their retirement," said NDP MLA Matt Weibe.
The NDP have been attacking the new Progressive Conservative's budget for not raising the minimum wage this year and for clawing back an education tax rebate from seniors who earn over a certain amount of income.
The New Democrats brought a disgruntled senior to the Legislature to describe the impact of the claw back.
Sixty nine-year-old retiree Charlie Levasseur says he was looking forward to a rebate of $1268 of his education property tax and now the tax break is being clawed back.
"It is sort of Christmas for an old guy and I was counting on filling in the paper work and going and buying my wife a new bike. Anyway it didn't happen because of the new budget and I'm really disappointed," Levasseur told media outside Question Period.
Changes to the legislation by the PCs would take the entire tax rebate back from seniors who earn over $63,500.
Interim NDP leader Flor Marcelino went after the government in the Legislature on the pay increases.
"Why should PC cabinet ministers get paid more to do less for everyday Manitobans?" Marcelino said.
Premier Brian Pallister is in Toronto with Finance Minister Cameron Friesen explaining the government's budget to credit rating agencies. The Tories plan to cut $122 million from the deficit, but say they can't get the books into the black until well into their second term - perhaps as long as eight years.
Deputy Premier Heather Stefanson was asked directly if the PCs would either change the balanced budget legislation or simply refuse the pay increases.
"We've inherited a fiscal mess here that we will not be able to change overnight but we have taken us in the right direction so far and we'll continue to do so," Stefanson said, adding she didn't get into politics for the salary.
Stefanson was asked for a response to Charlie Levasseur's anger in having the education tax rebate clawed back.
"We are ensuring that Manitobans that most need the rebate are going to have access to it," Stefanson said.
Finance minister Cameron Friesen told reporters on Wednesday the government would introduce new balanced budget legislation next year, but couldn't give specifics on what it would look like.