While Canadians anticipate the cost of some items to increase on April 1, the country’s MPs and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will receive a pay raise.
The office of the Speaker of the House of Commons confirmed to Daily Hive that as of April 1, MPs will receive a 4.4% salary increase.
“The sessional allowance and additional salaries are adjusted each year on April 1 based on the index of the average percentage increase in base-rate wages for a calendar year in Canada resulting from major settlements negotiated in the private sector (4.4% in 2023),” stated the office.
Currently, Canadian MPs make a base salary of $194,600. Their salary will see a $8,500 bump to $203,100 come April 1.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau currently receives a prime ministerial salary ($194,600) and an MP base salary ($194,600).
He will see a salary increase of $17,000, bringing his total base pay to $406,200.
Office of the Speaker of the House of Common
The pay hike comes when many Canadians grapple with the high cost of living.
According to a recent poll from Leger conducted on behalf of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF), 80% of respondents don’t support the MP pay raise.
The CTF noted that the federal government halted MP pay hikes between 2010 and 2013 due to the 2008-09 recession.
In a statement published earlier this year, Franco Terrazzano, federal director of the CTF, said that MPS “do not deserve a raise” as “taxpayers are struggling to afford basic necessities.”
“MPs should know better than to give themselves raises while their constituents are worried about rising mortgage payments and are struggling to feed their families,” he stated.
“It’s not rocket science: MPs should do the right thing and stop their upcoming pay raise.”
While MPs will see more money in their pockets on April 1, Canadians will be paying more per litre of gas and cubic litre of natural gas as the federal carbon tax increase will see the cost of gas go up from 14.3 cents per litre to 17.6 cents per litre across the country.
The gas hikes will vary slightly for Canadians, depending on what province they live in.
On March 26, Trudeau posted a letter on X addressing the carbon pricing system, stating that the rebates Canadians can receive are about to go up.
“The Parliamentary Budget Officer again confirmed that by returning the proceeds through the Canada Carbon Rebate, eight out of 10 families get more money back than they pay —with low- and middle-income households benefitting the most,” he stated.
He added, “Putting a price on pollution is the foundation of any serious plan to fight climate change. It is the most efficient way to reduce emissions across the economy — from industry to transportation to buildings and businesses.”
According to Trudeau, the accusation that the carbon tax increase will make life more expensive for struggling Canadians is “demonstrably false.”
With files from Irish Mae Silvestre