Michael Werier, the independent commissioner appointed to decide MLA salaries, allowances and retirement benefits, reported to the Speaker of the legislative assembly.
In determining MLA pay, Werier said he used factors including comparisons with MLAs in other provinces, comparisons with civil servants, the economic situation of the province, relationships to the public and private sectors in Manitoba, and general cost-of-living increases. He said no one factor was determinative.
Due to legislative requirements, MLA and cabinet pay is frozen until April 2014 and cabinet pay reduced a further 20 per cent. Currently, Manitoba MLA pay ranks eighth among the 10 provinces. With the 20 per cent reduction in cabinet pay, Manitoba’s premier and cabinet ministers receive the lowest additional compensation in Canada.
Werier decided that MLA pay should be set at $89,500, an increase of 4.6 per cent, effective April 1, 2014. That increase would be the first pay raise for MLAs in five years. Effective April 1, 2014, Werier set the additional pay for cabinet ministers at $49,000 and the premier’s additional pay at $75,000. These would also be the first pay raises for these positions in five years.
Based on the workload involved and on comparisons with other provinces, Werier decided that a 10 per cent increase should be applied for 2012 to certain special positions such as caucus chair, house leader, whip, committee chair and deputy chair, and legislative assistant.
Werier said, “In making these salary determinations, I have been guided by fairness, reasonableness and equitable compensation.”
The report also provides increases beginning this year to MLA allowances such as travel for southern MLAs, constituency office rent, constituency assistant salaries and moving expenses. These allowances are reimbursement for expenses incurred in the course of duties as a member of the legislative assembly.
Werier noted, “MLAs should not run out of funding before the end of the year in the performance of their public duties. The work of MLAs has changed and resources have to be provided.”
Wording and other minor adjustments were also made regarding the allowances.
Werier was appointed under the Legislative Assembly Act as an independent commissioner to review MLA salaries, allowances and retirement benefits, and make appropriate decisions. The commissioner consulted with interested individuals and groups in conducting the review. His decisions are binding on the assembly and MLAs.
Daryl Reid, Speaker of the assembly, thanked Mr. Werier saying, “Deciding salaries and allowances for members is never an easy task. On behalf of all members, I thank Mr. Werier for his work on this report.”
