Houston government wants to change review process for MLA salaries and benefits

The Houston government wants to change the way the salaries and benefits of Nova Scotia MLAs are determined.

On Tuesday, Premier Tim Houston called the current legislated obligation, which names a panel to review compensation and make binding recommendations to the House, "a very political process." 

According to the House of Assembly Act, 60 days after every general election, "the Speaker shall appoint three persons to make an inquiry and a report" on the salaries and top-ups earned by the premier, members of cabinet, as well as opposition leaders, the Speaker and others who hold House positions.

That review can also include MLA pensions, expense limits and how much MLAs receive for their constituency offices.

This week, government House leader Brendan Maguire informed his opposition counterparts that Speaker Danielle Barkhouse was looking to change the process.

According to NDP Leader Claudia Chender, her party has been told that the Speaker would appoint a single person rather than a panel to do the work.

Barkhouse would not talk about the proposal, but during a brief exchange with a reporter following a public event at Province House on Tuesday, Houston said "somebody will look at the MLA remuneration."

The premier suggested having the three main parties in the House each nominate a panel member was problematic.

"I think we need to remove the politics from it," he said.

But Chender said any change from what's prescribed in legislation should happen in a more public way.

"A vague heads-up doesn't really do the trick of letting the public understand how this government is making decisions," said Chender, who disputed the premier's claim the process was political.

"By definition it is not non-partisan for this very partisan premier to appoint his own expert to make the determination," she said.

"I think the reason that all three parties appoint someone to that committee is to ensure that no one party or partisan interest is favoured."

In a statement on Tuesday, Liberal House leader Iain Rankin said his party has not seen a formal submission from the government about changing the process and "we expect the legislated process to be followed."

By law, Barkhouse has until Jan. 25 to name the three-member panel.

The House could be reconvened, as it was during a rare summer sitting of the Nova Scotia Legislature in 2022, to amend the law.

The Houston government recalled the House on July 27, 2022, in order to prevent a panel recommendation that would have resulted in MLAs receiving a 12.6 per cent raise. Although Houston dismissed almost every recommendation put forward by the panel, he did agree to their suggestion he cut his pay by about $11,200.

Former Liberal premier Stephen McNeil also interceded in the process years earlier by passing legislation preventing a review after the 2017 election.

The first independent report issued on MLA salaries was in 1974. The review was conducted "under the Public Inquiries Act to consider the adequacy of indemnities, allowances and salaries paid under the House of Assembly Act, the Executive Council Act and the Members' Retiring Allowances Act."

MORE TOP STORIES