Sask. MLAs to take wage freeze next year

In the wake of this week's budget update, which revealed a $1 billiondeficit, Saskatchewan politicians say they will agree to a wage freeze next year.

• Sask. now projects $1B deficit for 2016-17

"I think it would be very challenging forMLAsof both sides to be asking public servants to take zeroes, yetMLAsand ministers would be getting CPI [consumer price index] increases," said Economy Minister Jeremy Harrison, speaking for the government.

"I think that would be very challenging."

The Opposition NDP's Warren McCall agreed. He said the NDP members of the board of internal economy, which governs the finances of the legislative assembly, will vote for a zero per cent increase to their salaries next April 1.

"As the fiscal picture for the province becomes more clear, how could we do anything but?" McCall said in response to reporters' questions.

Politicians did the same thing two years ago, when the premier announced cabinet ministers would not be taking a pay hike.

• Wage freeze ordered for Sask. cabinet ministers

A decade ago, an independent review set the rules for MLAsalaries in the province.It recommended thateach April, politicians' wages should go up by the amount of inflation in the previous year.

It said politicians should not change that formula without another independent review.

This year politicians got a 1.6 per cent raise on April 1.

Neither the government nor the Opposition could say why they aren't also rolling back that wage increase.

The base salary for an MLA is $96,183.

Cabinet ministersmake $145,152as does the Leader of the Opposition and the Speaker. The Premier makes $166,137.

Brad Wall also gets a top-up from the Saskatchewan Party of $37,000. A spokesperson for the premier says he will continue to take that, as it comes from donors, not taxpayers.

Here is a table of the current pay (base and additional allowances) for Saskatchewan MLAs.