Newfoundland and Labrador’s elected Members of the House of Assembly (MHAs) are recommended to receive a salary increase of approximately $22,000 per year starting in 2027, as per a new report from the Members’ Compensation Review Committee (MCRC) of the province. The report emphasizes that fair and reasonable compensation is crucial to attract individuals from diverse backgrounds to run for public office.
Authored by lawyer Heather Jacobs, the 162-page report proposes raising the annual MHA salary to $117,000 by April 1. Currently, Newfoundland and Labrador’s elected officials have the second-lowest salary among Canadian provinces, with MHAs earning a base salary of $95,357 per year, unchanged since December 2009. Comparatively, Prince Edward Island provincial politicians earn $86,924 annually, while Ontario Members of Provincial Parliament receive $163,275.
This latest report from the committee, released on Tuesday, is the second in three years. In March 2024, a previous report recommended a salary increase to $120,000 per year, which faced opposition from then-Premier Andrew Furey. Jacobs, who authored both reports, mentioned that the 2026 version aimed to update the recommendations put forth in 2024.
Furthermore, the report suggests salary hikes for additional-salary positions within the House of Assembly structure, with proposed increases of $61,000 for the Speaker of the House and the Opposition Leader, $33,000 for the Leader of the Third Party, $5,000 for party whips, among others. The report emphasizes the importance of fair compensation for positions that involve significant responsibilities, as highlighted by feedback from several MHAs.
In addition to the salary adjustments, the report recommends establishing a formula in legislation to link annual salary changes to Newfoundland and Labrador’s consumer price index, with a proposed implementation date of July 1, 2027. These recommendations will be reviewed by the House of Assembly Management Commission, with a briefing scheduled for Wednesday. Speaker Paul Lane is set to discuss the report with reporters at 3 p.m. NT on Tuesday.