House of Assembly Act Amended

Legislation has been introduced that will suspend the automatic yearly review of salaries of members of the Legislative Assembly.

Proposed amendments to the House of Assembly Act, recommended by the legislature's all-party Internal Economy Board, will suspend the legislative requirement for a commission of inquiry into MLAs' salaries and benefits.

Instead, the legislation provides MLAs with an increase equivalent to the amount provided to members of the civil service management compensation pay plan. In 2001 they received a 1.9 per cent cost-of-living increase. The new provision will be in place for 2002 only.

The Internal Economy Board will study the issue with a view to devising a better system, said Justice Minister Michael Baker, on behalf of Government House Leader Ron Russell.

"This amendment to the act gives us time to develop a new system for determining MLA compensation in future," said Mr. Baker.

Under the House of Assembly Act, the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry for Remuneration of Public Officials have the same effect as if they were enacted by the legislature.

According to the commission's December 2000 report, Nova Scotia MLAs were the lowest paid of 15 provincial and federal counterparts surveyed.