OTTAWA: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today released a letter written to Ontario's Integrity Commissioner, Mr. Gregory T. Evans, with recommendations concerning
the anticipated passage of Bill 28, the MPP Compensation Reform Act (Arm's Length Process), 2001.

"Involvement of the Integrity Commissioner in the acrimonious and conflict ridden process of MPP compensation adjustments is welcome, to a point," stated CTF federal director Walter Robinson. "However, any changes that Mr. Evans recommends, should only take effect and apply to members of the Legislature after the next provincial election."

In the CTF letter to Mr. Evans, Robinson suggests:

In your response to the Legislature, no recommendation of pay changes whatsoever for the current session of the Legislature. Indeed, all 103 MPPs sought elected office of their own free will with full knowledge and acceptance of the current salary and benefit regime. To make recommendations to the contrary would be patently unfair.

Mr. Robinson also lays out suggestions for future wage adjustments for MPPs. In addition,
the CTF has provided the Office of the Integrity Commissioner with a national survey of compensation and representation levels for other provincial legislatures.

"The Harris government has already embraced and implemented our principles of simplicity and transparency in reforming the compensation regime for MPPs," added Robinson. "Sadly though, Bill 28 could lead to a conclusion which is unfair to taxpayers and results in members of the legislature being unaccountable for the expenditure of public monies."

"Our hope is to convince the Integrity Commissioner to adopt our recommendations to avoid an unfortunate outcome which would undermine the integrity of the legislature," concluded Robinson.