EDMONTON – Alberta United Conservative members of the legislature have voted to boost MLA salaries for the first time since 2013.
Chief government whip Shane Getson says the annual pay raise, which begins in April but is retroactive to the start of the year, is “reasonable.”
It is to line up with the province’s average public service rate increase, which, if calculated today, would mean a 2.5 per cent bump.
The current annual base salary for MLAs is almost $121,000, with added pay tied to extra responsibilities like cabinet positions.
The decision is part of a package of funding perks approved by UCP members that will also see their caucus get an extra $1 million from taxpayers for items like research and public communications.
Getson says that move is about levelling the playing field with the Opposition NDP, whose 38 members overshadow the UCP’s 24 backbenchers.
He says the changes will help MLAs better serve their constituents, but Official Opposition NDP leader Christina Gray says they are self-serving and out of touch with Albertans facing a cost-of-living crisis.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan 9, 2024.
