Better compensation for MLA assistants remains a top concern in salary review

MLAs in the Northwest Territories are more concerned about their assistants'salaries than their own. At least that's one of the findings of theIndependent Commission to Review Members Compensation and Benefits.

The commission is tasked with reviewing MLA salaries, benefits, and expense allowancesand eventually make recommendations to the legislative assembly based on its findings.

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Four people attended a publicmeeting at Yellowknife's Baker Centre Thursday evening. Some were surprised to discover MLA assistants aren't government employees, and therefore miss out on government benefits and salaries.

"They're not being compensated fairly, or properly, according to MLAs,"said NormanYakeleya,chair of the independent commission.

But this is not the first time constituency assistant salary has been highlighted as problematic.The final report of the last commission (2014) to review compensation included the recommendation that constituency assistants become "full employees of the N.W.T."

Yakeleya said the commission spoke with 10 of the 19 MLAs. After assistant salaries, new taxation on existing tax-free allowances were another concern. Come January 2019, MLAs will lose thetax-free status of some of their allowances because of new federal legislation.

This could cost N.W.T.MLAs between $2,600 and $5,200 a year in new taxes.

Current MLA salaries are set at a base of $103,851 and do not include an additional non-taxable expenseallowance of $7,484. MLAs do not have to account for how this allowance is spent. MLAswho do not live within commuting distance of Yellowknife are allowed double that in non-accountable expenses.

Not enough transparency

David Wasylciwis an Yellowknife resident. He also maintains OpenNWT.ca, a website that promotesgovernment transparency.

"Expenses through the house [Legislative Assembly]aren't all that open," Wasylciw said.

He used the meeting to let the commission know he wants more transparency from MLAs.

"I think it's really important that this committee and MLAs in general take the transparency and accountability that they're talking about for the government and apply it to themselves."

He wants to see greater cost breakdowns of large MLA expenditures, such astravel. Wasylciw said MLA expenditures aren't broken down in the same way that expenditures incurred by cabinet membersare.

"You might get a rolled up number once a year, but that's it."

The last review also included the recommendationthat non-accountable allowances be converted to accountable allowances,meaningMLAswould have to submit receipts for expense claims.

During every term of the Legislative Assembly, the speaker must appoint an independent commission to do a review of the salaries. Because the commission is creating a report of recommendations, there is no requirement for the house to use any of them.

The commission said it will take resident comments into consideration when it writes up the report. The report will be given to the speaker in August.

And it will be accepting public comments until roughly the end of May.