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Local MPs donating pay hikes to charity

Sudbury MP Paul Lefebvre and Nickel Belt MP Marc Serré join list of federal members donating raises to charity
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Local MPs Marc Serré and Paul Lefebvre will be donating their pay hikes to charity. (File)

"That's a fair question," Sudbury MP Paul Lefebvre said March 31 when asked how federal members of parliament could justify receiving a pay increase while hundreds of thousands of Canadians are out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The automatic pay increase takes effect today, as does the federal carbon tax.

Under legislation passed in 2005 (aimed at de-politicizing pay for elected members and senators), salaries ofr MPs and senators increase automatically on April 1 each year, based on the average increase negotiated by major bargaining units in the private sector.

This year, MPs are entitled to a 2.1-per-cent hike, an increase to their base salaries of just over $3,750 to $182,656. Senators are paid $25,000 less than MPs, so their base salary rises 2.4-per-cent this year to $157,656.

The prime minister, leader of the Opposition, the Speakers in both chambers and others with additional duties receive extra, legislated amounts beyond their base salaries.

When asked about it on March 31 during a livestream conversation with Sudbury.com editor Mark Gentili, Lefebvre said because parliament isn't in session during the pandemic, the government couldn't push pause on the pay hike legislation. 

So, he's doing what many other federal elected officials are doing: donating his raise to charity. 

"I'll be taking my own measures ... and the best thing that I can do is donate back that increase to the community and to different organizations," Lefebvre said.

Lefebvre said he would start with the Sudbury Food Bank. 

When contacted by email, staff at Nickel Belt MP Marc Serré's constituency office said he planned on donating his raise to various food banks in Nickel Belt.


-With files from The Canadian Press


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