Following the 2017-18 budget, MLAs took a 3.5 per cent wage reduction after the governing Saskatchewan Party announced their intention to seek a 3.5 per cent reduction in public sector compensation.
The MLA pay cut was described as a show of leadership at the time to show that the decision makers are also willing to lower their wage in a tight fiscal year.
The cut saw the base pay for an MLA go from $96,183.00 to $92,822.59. Additional allowances for posts like premier, cabinet minister, and speaker saw proportional cuts.
On April 1, 2018 base MLA pay returned to $96,183.
“That statue was for a one year period of time. That expired, and because of that, the MLA remuneration went back to the same level it had been at the previous budget year,” Board of Internal Economy member Jeremy Harrison explained.
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Harrison, who also serves as minister of trade and export development, said that since the 3.5 per cent across government cut was announced, no public sector union has seen a cut like that in new collective bargaining agreements.
“In the last four years, the increase in MLA remuneration has been 1.6 per cent,” Harrison said.
The Board of Internal Economy decided two and half months ago that MLAs will not take a cost of living increase this year, according to Harrison.
“A 1.6 per cent increase over four years I think would be seen as a reasonable thing. The fact that we’ve taken zeros at different point in that cycle, the fact that we’ve forgone increases that we could have taken by rules that exists I think does speak to a degree of leadership, Harrison said.
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Savings from the cut were about $700,000 according to Harrison. The one year, 3.5 per cent wage cut also affected senior government staff, such as those that work in the various ministries.
Savings related directly to elected officials were around $200,000.
Harrison added that decisions on pay changes are made on a consensus basis by all members, both government and opposition.
Opposition Leader Ryan Meili said he always saw the MLA 3.5 per cent cut as a publicity stunt.
“You’ve got people across the province making far less, many people, and you have this government coming out and making this big show of we’re taking a 3.5 per cent cut and as soon as people’s backs are turned its back,” Meili said.
“Beyond that, they were doing that just to try and force the cut down the through of regular working people.”
Based on data from the 2016 Canadian census, the median household income in Saskatchewan was $75,412 in 2015.
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