Legault defends $125 bonus for MPs for parliamentary work

Premier François Legault has backed members of the National Assembly, who received a 30% pay rise in June, to maintain the $125-a-day bonus they receive when they start parliamentary work before the majority of their colleagues.

Mr. Legault ruled that was still appropriate despite an increase in base pay for elected officials, which rose from $101,561 to $131,766 in June, after the passage of the controversial bill.

“It’s always been there and it has nothing to do with salary capping,” he declared at a press conference ahead of his delegation’s meeting.

The prime minister has indicated he is comfortable paying the bonus even after the increase was decided in June, which was opposed by three-fourths of Quebecers.

“It’s always a bonus, and as far as I know, the Leaders of the Opposition are not contesting it,” he said.

Duty Two former presidents of the National Assembly, Jean-Pierre Charbonneau and Jacques Chagnon, expressed their views on Thursday, according to them there is no reason why the $125 bonus should be due to the $30,000 increase received three months ago.

Before joining his delegation, Mr. Legault Mr. Responding to Charbonneau, he specifically called on elected officials to show dignity and stop dipping into the “candy bowl.”

“As far as I can remember, Jean-Pierre Charbonneau, when we were sitting in the same meeting, never talked about it,” she said, referring to her time as a member of the Parti Québécois.

A Member of Parliament who attends a session of a Parliamentary Committee is entitled to an Attendance Allowance of $125 for each day that the Committee is sitting, subject to the rules of the institution, when the House is not in session.

This situation arises in the summer or early in the year, in January and February, when committees are convened when the work of the council is adjourned.

Rules that need to be changed?

In the last two weeks of August, about 20 MNAs from all parties took turns to examine Minister Christian Dubey’s health system reform, which allowed for the $125 payment.

CAQ MP Yury Chasin, who participated in the sessions, confirmed that the bonus was still fair. “It’s not a problem,” he explained. These are not huge sums one way or the other. »

Mr. He said the rules on Chasin’s pay may be subject to change. “We’re always happy to have more, and there’s no one to turn money down,” he said. These are current rules and are subject to change. It is a negotiation between the parties. »

According to the MP, his constituents talk to him a lot about the impact of rising prices on their purchasing power. “They talk more about inflation in their portfolio than mine,” he argued.

Chief government whip Eric Lefebvre recalled that the 30% pay hike was based on a report by two former elected officials appointed for the purpose.

“When we gave the mandate to the independent committee, it had to consider all the income, all the benefits, everything, the file was closed,” he said, declining to elaborate.

Simon Jolin-Barrett, the justice minister and cabinet leader responsible for the bill that led to the pay rise in June, said the matter was now the equivalent of the National Assembly’s board of directors, where all recognized parties are represented.

“It comes under the office of the National Assembly,” he said.

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