NEWS RELEASE

October 1, 2004                                                                                             For Immediate Release

BREITKREUZ SPEAKS OUT AGAINST RECOMMENDED PAY RAISE FOR MPs

 “How can this government even comprehend giving MPs a raise when we are asking our farmers to try and make do with the little, if any, income they have?”

OTTAWA – Garry Breitkreuz, Member of Parliament for Yorkton-Melville, today voiced his opposition to pay raises recommended for MPs.  “We knew this was coming,” said Breitkreuz. “The Liberals designed these pay hikes in 2001. I was against it then, and I am certainly against it now.”

The recommended pay raise is the result of a law passed in June 2001. The law states that when the Judicial Compensation and Benefits Commission recommend an increase in pay for federally appointed judges, MPs receive the same percentage raise. In this case, that raise is 10 per cent. The pay raises are also coming at a time when Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) employees are looking for an eight-per-cent increase in salaries over three years. PSAC had been asked to take a two per cent raise.

“Under their majority power in 2001, the Liberals pushed this law through despite adamant disapproval from a number of MPs, including me,” said Breitkreuz. “I voted against the law in 2001, and I am steadfastly against these raises now. How can this government even comprehend giving MPs a raise when we are asking our farmers to try and make do with the little, if any, income they have?”

Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper has proposed a change to the existing law which ties MPs salaries to those of federal judges. Instead, Harper said MPs salaries should be set by an independent commission dedicated solely to establishing Members’ salaries.

The issue of MPs salaries and the recommended pay raises is expected to be dealt with in the House of Commons when it begins sitting for the 38^th Session on Monday, October 4^th.  “Let’s not forget it was Paul Martin who helped put the present law in place, and now he’s changed his mind.  This is yet another example of Liberals not thinking about the long-term impact of the laws they ram through Parliament,” concluded Breitkreuz.

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