Just months after voting to give themselves a 25 per cent pay hike Ontario politicians have quietly received another bump up in pay.
The controversial legislation adopted in just before Christmas gave MPPs a big raise and tied future increases to what their federal counterparts are earning.
Because federal politicians received a two per cent raise this month, Ontario's legislators will get the same. It is the second raise for politicians at Queen's Park in less than four months.
NDP House leader Peter Kormos told the Toronto Star he was surprised by this latest increase to his and other MPP's paycheques. He called the December increase an embarrassment and the latest raise "truly awful."
Kormos and other NDP MPPs were the only ones to vote against the pay raise legislation. The bill bumped up a provincial representative's base salary by $22,000 a year.
Ontario's Integrity Commissioner proposed to increase MPP salaries last year. Premier Dalton McGuinty first rejected the idea but then made an about-face after considering the suggestion for a weekend.
Legislation was introduced soon after.
This latest raise pushes salaries up again.
A member's base salary, which was about $88,700 last year, now jumps to $112,990.
Cabinet ministers who made about $126,000 last year now get almost $161,000. Premier Dalton McGuinty, who got about $159,000 last year, will now earn about $202,600.
With files from The Canadian Press
