The House of Commons has stated that it was compelled to raise the salary of a Member of Parliament from New Brunswick, regardless of the MP’s willingness to accept the increase. In a sworn statement submitted to the Federal Court, House clerk Eric Janse emphasized that all MPs must receive the stipulated amounts as outlined in the legislation, and any deviation from this would be unlawful and impractical.
Miramichi-Grand Lake Conservative MP Mike Dawson had initiated legal action in June by filing for a judicial review in an attempt to block the $8,800 raise being granted to him by Parliament. In response, Janse filed an affidavit last month reiterating that it is a legal requirement for the sessional allowance of the applicant to be paid in accordance with the Parliament of Canada Act, including all relevant annual adjustments.
Granting Dawson the option to refuse the raise would necessitate House staff to engage in specific administrative tasks solely for Dawson, involving the creation and maintenance of a distinct calculation of his sessional allowance on an annual basis throughout his tenure as an MP.
Last year, the base salary for MPs stood at $208,900 and increased to $217,700 on April 1. According to federal laws, MP salaries are linked to a formula that considers private-sector salary increments.
Dawson has expressed his opposition to accepting an $8,800 raise at a time when many Canadians are facing financial challenges. He emphasized his belief that handling federal tax deductions from employees’ paychecks, as a business owner, should not present significant complexity.
Despite donating his raise to charity, Dawson has advocated for the right to formally object to the raise. House of Commons Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia’s spokesperson, Olivier Duhaime, disclosed that neither Scarpaleggia nor Janse would provide interviews on the matter. Full legal arguments in the case are anticipated to be submitted within the next two months.