OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation released Leger polling showing 79 per cent of Canadians are against the upcoming member of Parliament pay raise on April 1. 

“The poll results are crystal clear: the vast majority of Canadians don’t think MPs deserve a raise,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “It seems like the only Canadians who strongly support an MP pay raise are the politicians themselves.”

The Leger poll asked Canadians if they support or oppose the upcoming MP pay raise. Results of the pollshow:

• 59 per cent strongly oppose
• 20 per cent somewhat oppose
• 10 per cent somewhat support
• 3 per cent strongly support
• 9 per cent unsure

Among those decided on the issue, 86 per cent of Canadians oppose the MP pay raise.

MPs give themselves pay raises each year on April 1, based on the average annual increase in union contracts with corporations that have 500 or more employees. 

A backbench MP’s salary is currently $203,100. A minister collects $299,900, while the prime minister takes home a $406,200 annual salary. 

The CTF estimates this year’s pay raise will amount to an extra $6,700 for backbench MPs, $9,800 for ministers and $13,400 for the prime minister, based on contract data published by the federal government. 

After this year’s pay raise, backbench MPs will receive a $209,800 annual salary, according to CTF estimates. A minister will collect $309,700 and the prime minister will take home $419,600.

“Do MPs really want to pad their pockets with higher pay as they head into an election?” Terrazzano said. “After a pandemic, tax hikes, a cost-of-living crisis and now a painful tariff war, there’s no way MPs should be taking more money from their constituents.

“If politicians want to be true champions for taxpayers, they must push to stop this MP pay raise.”

The federal government stopped automatic MP pay raises from 2010 to 2013.