MLA raise not entirely wrong, but Albertans need help too

In early January, the Government of Alberta’s Special Standing Committee on Members’ Services voted to increase the salary of members of the legislative assembly (MLA). United Conservative Party (UCP) committee members voted in favour of the increase, while the New Democratic Party (NDP) members opposed it. The changes will amount to an approximately 2.2 per cent increase in the salary of MLAs. Prior to any changes, an MLAs’ base compensation package sat at $120,936. It’s not that this increase was entirely the wrong decision, but that MLAs need to balance this with action for Albertans.

In light of this development, some Albertans feel enraged that politicians voted to give themselves a raise at the expense of taxpayers’ hard earned money. After all, the slow economy and the cost-of-living in Alberta has deteriorated dramatically in recent years. Price increases all across the board have detrimentally impacted the lives of everyday Albertans. The consumer price index (CPI) measures of how costly consumer goods are for households in Canada. It found that costs skyrocketed by 6.8 per cent in 2022, reaching a 40-year high in CPI increase. Albertans face the full brunt of this, with minimum wage in Alberta tied for the lowest in the country at $15 an hour. So why should MLAs receive a pay raise while Albertans are paid less than their fellow citizens residing in other provinces?

Well, in short, the last time the government increased MLAs’ salary was more than a decade ago, in 2013. Since 2019, MLAs have had their pay frozen or have refused pay hikes. In fact, MLAs, cabinet ministers, and even the premier of Alberta are paid significantly less than the mayors of Edmonton and Calgary. And these mayors have consistently received pay hikes over recent years. So does it not make sense, coming from the perspective of MLAs, that they get a pay hike? MLAs generally take on more responsibilities and their decisions have higher stakes when compared to the duties of the city council and mayor. At the same time, MLAs are subjected to greater public scrutiny.

In defense of the raise, committee Chair and government-whip Shane Getson said “MLAs are like every other common Joe out there making a living.” To an extent, that is true. After all, most people want to earn a higher wage, especially in times of economic uncertainty. However, what separates MLAs from everyday Albertans is that MLAs serve and represent Albertans. This should mean placing the needs of Albertans above their own. It’s ultimately taxpayer money that pays for MLA wages. Albertans work hard for their money, and current MLA wages are already considerably higher than the average Alberta salary. Most would argue that $120,936 a year is more than liveable. This pay raise only signals to Albertans that UCP MLAs will continue to prioritize themselves first.

As the Committee on Members’ Services, there is no right way to handle this situation. They have every right to raise their salary after years with no increases. But in the current political and economic environment, this decision is not in their favour. With MLA salary increases, the general public will look disfavourably towards this move. And in a situation without MLA salary increase, MLAs will start to become uneasy. Moving forward, MLAs must recognize that since they have committed to increasing their salary with taxpayer dollars, they must find a way to make it up to Albertans by improving their economic situation. If not, the backlash against the UCP and MLAs may be too much to bear.