The following is an OP ED column by Devin Drover is the Atlantic director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect those of The Laker News or its advertisers.
The Houston government is trying to pull the wool over taxpayers’ eyes.
Provincial politicians quietly lined their own pockets with a massive pay hike on budget day. They hoped Nova Scotians wouldn’t notice. But taxpayers know a sneaky move when they see one.
Nova Scotia MLAs just gave themselves a 29 per cent pay raise, making them the highest-paid provincial politicians in Atlantic Canada. The government is increasing base salaries from $89,234 to $115,000. And salary top-ups for the premier, ministers and the leader of the official opposition are up more than $14,000.
These changes will cost Nova Scotian taxpayers about $2 million every single year.
MLAs will now make at least $43,500 more than the median household income in the province. For most Nova Scotians, that kind of money is a pipe dream.
And yet, some seem to think they deserve even more.
In addition to the now-binding salary recommendations, a bureaucrat-stacked panel also wishes to see higher payments for political staffers, greater accommodation allowances for politicians, and other cozy benefits.
Premier Tim Houston used to fight against MLA pay hikes. In 2022, Houston called a special session of the legislature to block a 12.6 per cent MLA pay hike.
“This is not the time to be adjusting the compensation of MLAs,” said Houston. “We have record-high inflation.”
What’s different now? Inflation hasn’t disappeared. Families are still struggling. The province’s finances have gotten worse. Budget 2025 makes it clear: Nova Scotia can’t afford more reckless spending.
The government will run a $897-million deficit this year. Overall spending is up $600 million over last year’s budget.
Houston is set to increase the debt to $22.3 billion by the end of 2025. That’s a 10 per cent jump in just one year. And there’s no plan to balance the books for the next three years.
When debt rises, so do interest payments. Nova Scotians will fork over $908 million just to pay interest on the debt this year. That’s about $835 per person. That’s money wasted on interest payments instead of going towards essential services or tax relief.
Most Nova Scotians don’t get a raise when they fail at their jobs. So why should MLAs get a massive pay hike when they can’t manage the province’s finances?
Rather than padding their pockets, politicians should focus on fixing the mess they’ve made. That means cutting wasteful spending, balancing the budget and respecting taxpayers.
Some MLAs will argue they deserve a raise as their salaries have been frozen since 2015. But let’s be clear: A salary freeze isn’t a hardship. Politicians are already well-paid, their job is to serve the public, not enrich themselves.
When the first elected assemblies were formed in Canada, the role of a legislator was not meant to be a career with a generous salary and benefits. The House of Assembly was modeled after the British House of Commons, where members were chosen to defend the interests of taxpayers compared to the royals that sat in the House of Lords.
It was never about securing a personal payday.
While MLAs are making sure they take home a bigger paycheck, many Nova Scotians are struggling to keep the lights on and put food on the table. The rising cost of living, carbon taxes and inflation have hit families hard.
And now those same politicians want taxpayers to foot the bill for their raises? It’s a slap in the face.
Houston and every other MLA must reverse course and reject this pay hike. Nova Scotia’s finances are teetering and every dollar counts. Now is the time for leadership, not personal greed.
The message from taxpayers is simple: do your job, fix the budget and stop wasting money.
And most of all, quit lining your pockets at the expense of the hardworking Nova Scotians who pay the bills.
Devin Drover is the Atlantic director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
