February 25, 2016

First reading of Bill 1: An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act

(YELLOWKNIFE)  Thursday, February 25, 2016 – Frederick Blake Jr., Member of the Legislative Assembly for Mackenzie Delta, moved that Bill 1: An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act be read for the first time.

The Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act currently provides for a Member’s basic salary to be annually adjusted by the percentage increase or decrease in the Consumer Price Index. As a result, MLA salaries would automatically increase by 1.1 per cent on April 1, 2016 and a similar increase would occur on April 1, 2017. Bill 1 proposes to freeze salaries at current levels for all Members of the Assembly for two years.

The Board of Management of the Legislative Assembly is responsible for recommending changes to the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, and on February 17, 2016 decided to freeze MLA salaries at current levels. The freeze will save $30,000 in the 2016 - 2017 fiscal year and future savings are dependent on changes in the Consumer Price Index.

“In follow up to the fiscal update previously provided by the Minister of Finance, Robert C. McLeod, and the announcement that the salaries for senior managers and excluded GNWT employees will be frozen for the next two years, MLAs wanted to follow suit with a salary freeze,” stated Frederick Blake Jr.

Bill 1 will be considered by Committee of the Whole next week.

Frederick Blake Jr., Member of the Board of Management
Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories
P: 867-767-9143 ext. 12130 or 1-800-661-0784
E: Frederick_Blake@gov.nt.ca

 

Barbara Abramchuk,
Public Affairs and Communications Advisor
Legislative Assembly of the NWT
P: 867-767-9130 ext. 12017 or 1-800-661-0784
E: Barbara_Abramchuk@gov.nt.ca