A recent survey finds 43% of Canadians strongly agree that members of parliament should reduce their salaries due to the current COVID-19 situation.
1,505 Canadians took part in the poll between May 1st and 3rd.
On April 1st, all MP’s got a 2% raise.
Aaron Wudrick is with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and says they asked MP’s to donate their salary increase as a show of solidarity and more than half agreed.
“It’s not about being mean or spiteful. It’s about recognizing there’s only so much help to go around right now and wouldn’t it be a little bit fairer if people in government shared some of that.”
Kenora MP Eric Melillo is one of those who is donating his pay hike to charities across the riding.
Wudrick notes politicians around the globe have already done this including New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
“Said that she was going to take her and her Cabinet and all her top civil servants and going to be taking a 20% pay cut for the next six months. We’ve seen similar moves in places like Japan and India where members of parliament have taken 20% and 30% pay cuts for the next year.”
(Files from Tamara Steele Acadia News)
