Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall is now the only premier to collect a stipend from his party.
Wall and B.C. Premier Christy Clark were previously the only two premiers in Canada to receive an annual salary top-up from their political parties.
However, a week after a New York Times article called the premier out for her handling of political donations, Clark said she would no longer be receiving the $50,000 annual controversial statement. This was on top of the premier’s annual salary of about $195,000.
READ MORE: Christy Clark no longer receiving $50,000 stipend from party
Wall collects $37,000 a year annually from the Saskatchewan Party, on top of a $166,137 salary, including a $96,183 base salary and an additional allowance of $69,954.
The stipend is reported each year and has been cleared by the conflict of interest commissioner.
The provincial government has released a statement saying Wall’s salary ranks ninth among the salary of other premiers from the provinces and territories.
“There are additional duties the party leader undertakes outside of their job in the legislature on behalf of the party like speaking engagements and leaders dinners and much more. The money doesn’t come from taxpayers and it is reported each year on his income taxes. There is no intention to change the practice,” the statement read.
The Opposition NDP has called for an end to the practice in the past and now say they will push even harder now that he is the only premier still collecting party money.
“It’s funded through the Saskatchewan Party, but really funded through large corporate donations and out-of-province donations,” Interim NDP Leader Trent Wotherspoon said.
“This is offensive and wrong. This money is on top of the money he earns, the salary he earns to serve as premier and it’s unacceptable. It raises questions of influence and it should be stopped.”
Wotherspoon said laws should be fixed in the province to prevent stipends and “get big money out of Saskatchewan politics.”