Next week, taxpayers will once again be treated to the sorry spectacle of MPs voting themselves a raise just before they hop in a taxi, high tail it to the airport and jet back to their ridings for the summer.

It's a disturbing pattern and you can set your watch to it. Each June (in three of the last four years), MPs of all stripes spend the last days of the session ramming through changes to their pay and pension packages - with zero public input. No hearings, minimal debate and quick votes.

The Lumley commission recently tabled its report on changes to the structure of pay for federal politicians. To be fair, the commission made some sensible recommendations.

Adopting the CTF principles of simplicity, transparency and accountability in recommending an end to tax-free allowances, building in an index factor for future wage increases (removing the conflict of interest of MPs voting on their own pay hikes) and reducing the "illegal" accrual rate in their pension plan are indeed positive changes.

But the commission also proposed a generous - far too generous - 20% pay hike for MPs, taking their effective pay from $109,000 to $131,000 per year. And the PM's salary is poised to jump by 42% to almost $263,000.
Seven months ago, 301 MPs were elected to office with an implied contract that said they would work for $69,100 per year plus their $23,000 tax-free allowance (fully taxable equivalent is $109,000). To up this figure now is an odious betrayal of trust, breach of contract and borders on theft.

Perhaps raises in the range of four to five percent are justified for MPs. But any increments to their pay package should only take effect after the next general election as the CTF along with some Alliance and Tory MPs have sensibly suggested.

Defenders of the hikes trumpet the unseen work of backbench MPs toiling away in committees and writing public policy books. But the public more rightly points to the stellar work they've witnessed from MPs like Tom "friend of veterans" Wappel, Darrell "Maxwell Smart on line one" Stinson, Rahim "is it really me " Jaffer, and Hedy "beware of burning crosses" Fry. Think of them as poster children for the MPs pay hike telethon: care to donate

And some have the audacity to tell us that better pay means better MPs. Excuse me, at $109,000, MPs fall amongst the top 2.1% of all income earners in Canada. Does anyone seriously think MPs sit around and say "hey we should pay more money to attract better people so they can take our jobs and collect our pensions "

Even if we paid MPs $150,000 or $200,000, the obstacles that deter many from seeking elected office remain. Excessive party discipline, incessant media scrutiny, and the fact that MPs are basically voting machines are the real factors that turn bright people away from public life.

Hiking pay packages won't attract better people to public life, real reform of the role of an MP and of parliament will. Of course, when you run into your MP this summer ask him/her why they could fast track pay hikes in a few short days while real legislative changes take years to get through Parliament

After you get the answer (which will be no answer at all), smile politely and ask them to buy you a burger and beer or a pop. Heck, they can afford it, they will have had a big fat raise - and after all, in the final analysis, it's your money.

In the meantime, taxpayers are encouraged to call (613-992-4211) or email ([email protected]) the Prime Minister's office to express their opinion on the latest fast-track pay hike proposals for MPs.