ST. JOHN’S, NL: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on Premier Tony Wakeham to reject a newly commissioned review of MHA salaries and rule out any politician pay hike while the province keeps borrowing money.

“Wakeham shouldn’t waste time on another review designed to justify a pay hike for provincial politicians,” said Devin Drover, CTF Atlantic Director and General Counsel. “Families are struggling with the cost of living and the last thing they need is politicians voting themselves a raise.”

The government tapped Heather Jacobs to prepare a new review of MHA compensation, using her previous report as the starting point, with findings due before the fall sitting of the house of assembly.

Jacobs’s earlier 2024 report recommended raising base MHA salaries from $95,357 to $120,000 a year. This would have made MHAs the highest-paid provincial politicians in Atlantic Canada and cost taxpayers approximately $1 million annually.

The average income in Newfoundland and Labrador is $67,000.

Meanwhile, the Wakeham government is planning to increase the debt by $688 million this year. The province’s debt is expected to climb to $21 billion by the end of 2026, a seven per cent increase. Interest costs are projected to hit $1.2 billion or about $2,100 for every Newfoundlander and Labradorian.

Wakeham has not publicly stated his position on the pay raise, though Deputy Premier Barry Petten previously agreed with the proposed MHA salary hike while in opposition.

“Taxpayers can’t afford for politicians to hike their own salaries while the government is borrowing hundreds of millions of dollars,” said Drover. “Wakeham needs to show respect for taxpayers, scrap this review and reject a politician pay raise once and for all.”