The House of Commons has stated that it was necessary to raise the salary of a Member of Parliament from New Brunswick, regardless of the MP’s preference. In a document submitted to the Federal Court, House clerk Eric Janse emphasized that all MPs must receive the specified amounts outlined in legislation, and deviating from these amounts would be both illegal and impractical.

Miramichi-Grand Lake Conservative MP Mike Dawson had sought a judicial review in June to block the $8,800 raise proposed by Parliament. In response, Janse filed an affidavit last month asserting that the sessional allowance for the applicant must, by law, align with the amounts set by the Parliament of Canada Act, including any annual adjustments.

Granting Dawson the option to decline the raise would necessitate specialized administrative actions by House personnel to maintain a separate calculation of his sessional allowance each year. The base salary for MPs was $208,900 last year, increasing to $217,700 as of April 1, in accordance with federal legislation that indexes MP pay to private-sector salary trends.

Despite the raise, Dawson expressed concerns about accepting an $8,800 increase while many Canadians face financial challenges. He highlighted his experience as a business owner, noting the simplicity of deducting federal taxes from employees’ pay and suggesting a similar approach for managing pay raises electronically.

Dawson has chosen to donate his raise to charity but believes he should have the right to refuse it entirely. House of Commons Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia’s spokesperson, Olivier Duhaime, mentioned that neither Scarpaleggia nor Janse would provide interviews on the matter. Full legal arguments for the case are anticipated to be submitted within the next two months.