Nova Scotia MLAs getting 29% pay raise

Nova Scotia provincial politicians are getting a pay raise for the first time in more than a decade.

The base salaries for MLAs are being increased to $115,000 from $89,234, the first increase since 2013. 

A number of positions that receive top-ups will also see bumps in their pay, including the premier, who will get $115,748 in addition to his base MLA salary. That's up from $101,545.

Top-ups for the House Speaker, cabinet ministers and the leader of the Official Opposition will be increased by more than $14,000 to $63,250.

Other positions in the legislature, like the leader of a recognized party and the deputy speaker, will each receive smaller increases.

NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday she and her caucus are still reviewing the changes.

In the past, she has argued that compensation for MLAs must be enough for all people from all backgrounds to participate in the political process.

"Hopefully this will strike the right balance," she said.

Panel recommended pay changes

The changes are contained in a report from a three-member panel that made a series of binding and non-binding recommendations on remuneration. The panel, which was appointed last December, was made up of senior provincial bureaucrats.

Its report, released Tuesday by the Speaker, also makes a non-binding recommendation of a $16,000 top-up for ministerial assistants.

Premier Tim Houston appointed every member of his caucus who is not a cabinet minister to the role of ministerial assistant several months ago. Although previous governments have used the role, the added duty has always been unpaid.

Responding to the change, Chender and interim Liberal Leader Derek Mombourquette said it's still not clear to them what ministerial assistants do.

Pay raise blocked in 2022

Nova Scotia MLAs have not had a salary increase since January 2013. In 2022, Houston recalled the legislature to pass legislation to block a planned pay raise. The raise was a binding recommendation from a previous remuneration panel that could only be blocked by legislation.

At the time, the panel wrote in its report to the Speaker that a "sufficient" base pay was needed to attract qualified candidates.

Last year, a retiring Liberal MLA used one of his final speeches in the legislature to echo those concerns. Keith Irving said a freeze on compensation could keep good people from seeking elected office.

On Tuesday, Mombourquette said the conversation about compensation for MLAs was always going to be something that needed to be addressed at some point.

Other suggested increases

This year's panel made a series of additional recommendations that are not binding.

They include offering rental assistance to MLAs who live 50 kilometres or more from Province House, down from 100 kilometres. The panel also suggested increasing the rental assistance to $2,100 a month from $1,500, which better reflects rent in the Halifax market.

As well, the panel recommended an increase in funding for constituency offices. This became an issue in December 2023 when a constituency worker in an MLA's office was assaulted, prompting calls for increased money to beef up staffing.

The binding recommendations in this year's panel report are retroactive to December.