- MacPolitics: Tim Houston & MLAs/Cabinet Ministers Get A Pay Raise
By Andrew Macdonald
Premier Tim Houston, cabinet ministers and MLAs got a pay raise this week, retroactive to Dec 2024.
Danielle Barkhouse, Speaker of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, tabled a report in the House of Assembly on MLA remuneration.
The report was created by an independent panel she appointed to review and make recommendations about the indemnity or base salary payable to all MLAs and the additional salaries payable to the Speaker, the deputy Speaker, the leader of the opposition, leaders of recognized parties and the premier and other members of the Executive Council.
The base salary of an MLA increases to $115,000 from $89,234.
This means the premier of NS is now making $230,748, because he gets his MLA salary of $115,000 and a further add-on for being premier set at $115,748 an increase from $101,545
Cabinet ministers each get $115,000, plus an additional salary of $63,250 an increase from $49,046. So the total pay for being a cabinet minister is now set at $178,250.
The Speaker gets the MLA salary plus an additional salary payable to the Speaker to $63,250 up from $49,046. This means Danielle Barkhouse gets a total salary of $178,252.
Other payments listed below get the MLA salary increase of $115,000, and another salary addition:
– increase the additional salary payable to the deputy Speaker to $26,450 from $24,523
– increase the additional salary payable to the leader of the opposition to $63,250 from $49,046
– increase the additional salary payable to the leader of a recognized party to $37,950 from $24,523
– decrease the maximum additional salary payable to a minister without portfolio to $40,250 from $49,046.
“Under the House of Assembly Act, these binding recommendations of the panel have the same force and effect as if enacted by the legislature and take effect retroactive to December 1, 2024,” said the Speaker’s office.
