BC MLAs Vote Unanimously to Freeze Politicians’ Salary Increases for 2023

Todd Stone speaks during a B.C. Liberal Leadership debate in Vancouver, B.C., on Jan. 23, 2018. (Ben Nelms/The Canadian Press)

B.C. MLAs voted unanimously Wednesday to freeze salary increases of provincial politicians, a measure intended to show residents that the government understands how rising inflation is impacting the province’s residents.

With the motion passed, there will be a freeze on salary increases for 2023.

MLAs would have received a 7–10 percent raise as of April 1, 2023, tied to inflation. For some members of the legislature, that would be upwards of a $10,000 raise. Wage increases are based on the consumer price index, which was sitting at 8 percent in October 2022.

The private member’s bill was first put forward by Opposition House Leader Todd Stone, who on Nov. 21 issued a statement saying any pay increase was “poorly-timed.”

“It just doesn’t seem right to accept a pay bump while people in this province continue to face skyrocketing costs for housing, food, fuel, and more,” Stone said.

The inflation rate is usually around 2 percent, according to Stone. With soaring inflation, the planned increase to MLA wages was met with outrage by B.C. residents. He said he received thousands of messages supporting a pay freeze.

The annual MLA basic salary this year was just over $115,000. The premier’s salary was over $218,000, while opposition leader and cabinet ministers made over $172,000, according to government documents.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) had also called on the government to pass the bill and freeze politicians’ pay increase.

In a Nov. 23 statement, B.C. Director for the CTF Carson Binda said: “This is good legislation which desperately needs to pass before the close of the legislative session. Politicians shouldn’t be giving themselves pay raises while families are struggling to make ends meet.”

According to the CTF, one in five Canadians are reporting skipping meals due to inflation raising food prices, and demand for food banks is at an all-time high. The CTF also said that the premier’s salary is three times more than the median household income in the province.

Stone posted a video on Twitter on Nov. 24, calling for Premier David Eby to “cancel the undeserved and tone-deaf $20,000 retroactive pay increase NDP cabinet members provided themselves earlier this year.”