Trudeau just gave MPs a raise to over $200,000, making them second-highest-paid elected officials in the world.
While Canadians are expected to pay more for everything from gas for their cars to heat for their homes, Canada’s MPs are enjoying a nice raise of $8,500, bringing their annual salaries up to $203,100 (the higher-ups make even more), according to data provided to the National Post via the Office of the Speaker of the House of Commons.
This makes Canadian MPs some of the highest-paid politicians in the world, second only to those in the US.
Trudeau’s giving himself an even more lavish raise
Not to be overshadowed, Justin Trudeau gave himself a raise, too! He is receiving an increase of $17,000, bringing his salary up to $406,200. Turns out that doing the best job really isn’t the key to success at work.
And much like the carbon tax, which 78% of Canadians are against raising or want outright axed, 80% of Canadians are against Trudeau giving himself and MPs today (on April Fools of all days) with 62% being “strongly opposed”.
But he did it anyway. Because of course he did.
Those not in politics aren’t the only ones opposed to Trudeau’s self-indulgent raise either. Analysts and critics alike have weighed in saying this raise couldn’t come at a worse time given the abysmal state of the country and that MPs straight up don’t deserve them.
“MPs should know better than to give themselves raises while their constituents are worried about rising mortgage payments and struggle to feed their families,” said the Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s Franco Terrazzano. “It’s not rocket science: MPs should do the right thing and stop their upcoming pay raise.”
Terrazzano also referenced former PM Stephen Harper’s decision to freeze wages during the 2008 financial crash—a move that showed solidarity with Canadians who were struggling. Unfortunately, Canadians don’t have that anymore. Harper, unlike Trudeau, was actually empathetic towards the plight facing Canadians at the time, while Trudeau couldn’t be any more removed.
