Marshall asks Senate committee to review her pay

Conservative Senator Elizabeth Marshall says she has asked the Senate Rules Committee to look at whether some of the additional pay she receives for extra work is appropriate.

Marshall, a senator from Newfoundland and Labrador, said she made the request when she met with the rules committee on Tuesday morning.

"What I said to them was 'I'm doing this job and I'm getting remuneration for it. It's now an issue, and you know, look at it and if it's an issue, fix it,'" said Marshall. 

Marshall chairs the Senate Selection Committee, which picks senators to sit on other committees. 

For that, Marshall gets paid an extra $11,000 per year. Her regular salary is $135,000 per year.

The Senate Selection Committee has only met twice in the past two years, once for 15 minutes shortly after the 2011 federal election, and again on Tuesday morning.

Marshall also gets paid extra for serving as Conservative whip for the senate.

Marshall is former N.L. auditor general

Marshall was a Conservative MHA and cabinet minister in the Newfoundland and Labrador government when Danny Williams was premier, and before that was the province's auditor general, with a reputation for running a tight fiscal ship. 

Marshall and Williams were the only two MHAs sitting at that time who did not make any constituency spending claims.

However, she said on Wednesday that she has never looked at whether all the compensation she receives is appropriate for her various Senate duties. 

Marshall said in light of the controversies surrounding the spending of Senators Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin, an examination is the right thing to do.

"I'm very concerned about this issue being raised, especially with the backdrop of what's going on in the Senate right now."