News release

Report on MLA Indemnity and Salaries Released

Speaker's Office

Keith Bain, Speaker of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, has received the report of the independent panel appointed to review and make recommendations about the indemnity or base salary payable to all MLAs and the additional salaries payable to the Speaker, the deputy Speaker, the leader of the Opposition, leaders of recognized parties, and the Premier and other members of Executive Council.

The three-person panel – composed of university professor Ajay Parasram and lawyers Burtley Francis and Kyle MacIsaac – has recommended that the base salary payable to all MLAs should be increased from $89,234.90 to $100,480.91, a 12.6 per cent increase. The increase is identical to that received by civil servants between April 1, 2014, and the date on which the recommendations are effective: September 1, 2021.

The panel recommended that there be no change to the additional salaries payable to the Speaker, the deputy Speaker, the leader of the Opposition, leaders of recognized parties, and ministers with portfolio. A majority of the panel recommended that the additional salary payable to the Premier be decreased by $11,246.01. This results in the total pay for the Premier remaining unchanged. A majority of the panel recommended that the maximum additional salary payable to ministers without portfolio be set at $39,237.21 or 80 per cent of that payable to a minister with portfolio.

Under the House of Assembly Act, the recommendations of the panel are binding and take effect on the first day of the month following the general election.

In addition to its binding recommendations, the panel raised issues for consideration and made suggestions about matters that arose during its inquiry. These matters include:

  • the unique family-related challenges faced by MLAs, especially women and gender-diverse MLAs with young children
  • the provision for a Mi'kmaw representative in the House of Assembly
  • the conduct of future reviews of MLA compensation.

“I thank the panel for its diligent work in preparing the report presenting its recommendations regarding the remuneration of MLAs. It is evident that the panel has considered the issues thoroughly and taken great care to ensure that its recommendations are fair, transparent and in the best interest of Nova Scotians,” said Speaker Bain.

Quick Facts:

  • the panel was appointed on May 30
  • this is the first independent review of MLA compensation to occur since 2014
  • the last increase to the indemnities and salaries that are the subject of the panel’s report occurred on January 1, 2013

Additional Resources:

The report of the panel is available to view and download at: https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/pdfs/people/MLARemunerationReview2022.pdf

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