This is no April fools joke!

[gauge33]

Many Canadians are not doing well. 

Our unemployment rate is on the rise, certain parts of the country are dealing with EI benefits that are insufficient, and as many Canadians are worrying about making ends meet, MPs are taking care of themselves. The MP's are giving themselves a pay raise.

As of April 1st your average Member of Parliament is getting a $3,000 pay hike.

The Prime Minister is getting an extra $6,000 per year.

The pay hike comes thanks to legislation passed in 2005 that made MP's pay hikes automatic and tied to what big labour contracts were offering, on average, over the last year.

So just like unionized companies with more than 500 workers, the MPs are getting a 1.8% hike in pay.

The base salary for an MP is now $170,400 per year.

If you chair a committee you get an extra $11,900 and if you are a cabinet minister an extra $81,000.

Cabinet Ministers now earn $251,900 per year. They also get a $2,000 car allowance given to them, plus the car and driver they get, plus a living allowance to pay for their apartment or home in Ottawa, plus subsidized travel, plus, plus, plus.

Cabinet ministers are the new 1%.

Which is odd because Trudeau and his Liberals ran against the 1% in the last election. They berated the 1%. Well in Canada, that is anyone making more than 191,000 dollars a year, so, Trudeau and his cabinet, they are all well inside it. Committee chairs, they are just below it.

So, how does an MP defend the pay raise?

Well if you are Liberal cabinet Minister Judy Foote, you do it with gusto. Trudeau’s Minister of Public Works, the Minister in charge of one of the biggest spending departments said that "she deserves the pay raise."

Look, I have no problem with people working hard and earning their money. I have no problem with people earning as much money as possible.

But Trudeau and his Liberals do.

They ran an Occupy Wall Street campaign against the wealthy of this country and now they are giving themselves a nice raise -- one that is more than they are offering the public sector workers they are negotiating with.

The country’s books are falling apart.

We are adding billions to the debt, we don’t need to be giving raises to the richest politicians in the country. 

When the country was in recession, Stephen Harper and the Conservatives passed a bill stopping the automatic wage hikes for three years.

We need to stop these pay hikes.

Tell your representatives in Ottawa that they need to lead by example.

[pierrelebel]

All fair minded Canadians should take a look at history of salary to members of Parliament (and Prime Minister) through the years under different parties:

http://www.lop.parl.gc.ca/ParlInfo/lists/Salaries.aspx?Menu=HOC-Politic&Section=03d93c58-f843-49b3-9...

[gauge33]

Fair minded has nothing to do with it. Politicians should adjust their pay hikes (and even if they should get one or not) to the economic realities of the country at any one point in time.

[xeposter]

You do know April Fools Day was yesterday, right? 🙂

Alex

[pierrelebel]

Are you saying it was OK for Harper as PM to raise salaries in 2013, 2014 while having a deficit but it is not OK by any PM from another party.

You are correct  "Fair minded has nothing to do with it."

Reform/Conservatives will never change: spin spin spin as long as we Conservatives either look good or the other guys look bad.

[gauge33]

That's why the narrative said - As of April 1st 

[gauge33]

You catch on quick!

[pierrelebel]

What can I say?  I am still young.

[pjcdn2005]

Reform/Conservatives/Liberals/NDP will never change: spin spin spin as long as we Conservatives/Liberals/NDP either look good or the other guys look bad.

[pierrelebel]

[gauge33]

The politically motivated would enjoy CTVs Question Period Sundays 11-12pm and repeated at 5pm. In addition at 12pm CBCs The Scrum a half hour production.

Interesting this week as media respondents tackled Pikangikum in particular and the broader issue of reserves as well as the small business tax broken promise.

Pierre do you watch these?

[pierrelebel]

"Pierre do you watch these?" = Yes, both. (if we are away from home on Sunday, I record both shows to view later)

"Pikangikum in particular and the broader issue of reserves" - I think most panelists got it right.  The problem - as we see it today - does not reside entirely with Harper, Trudeau or any other federal or provincial government leader.  It is not just about money, although money is part of it.  The solutions have to come from within.

As far as "small business" tax rate is concerned, all I see is a bunch of selfish people crying "unfair! I pay too much tax".  Rate is down from 15% to 10.5% over the years and they still complain they are paying too much.  Reality check: the labourer pays more than that!  Too many professionals use the small business tax rate to minimize their tax so a doctor or accountant or whatever making over $250,00 a year pays less taxes than a plumber or electrician making $100,000. It is not right.  That was never the purpose of taxing small businesses at a lower rate.

It is never a good thing to break an election promise (although technically no promise has been broken yet since the rate was in fact reduced this year) but in this case I think the federal government needs to find ways to minimize the abuse and give the tax break to genuine small businesses, those creating jobs in Canada, not to individuals using the system to minimize their taxes.

Also, a small business rate much lower than the regular (already lowered) corporate rate does not help promote small business to grow as they would end up paying more taxes if they get bigger.  It may be time to rethink the whole system.

I could see incentives given to businesses - regardless of size - who increase their payroll, year after year. In other words: reward job creation.  That may be a lot more relevant to small businesses than lowering the tax rate by one percent.  For example, if the federal government were to absorb all or some of the employers portion of CPP and EI for the first year of employment, there would be a real benefit to small businesses and to the country.  Simply lowering the tax rate so the owners take more money home does not appeal to my sense of fairness.