A former St. John’s city councillor is weighing in on the debate on increasing the salaries of those elected to the House of Assembly.
The Members’ Compensation Review Committee has recommended that all MHAs get a $22,000 raise on their base salary, with even greater increases for additional roles.
Maggie Burton, who previously sat as a councillor-at-large on St. John’s City Council, says increased pay for politicians is a good idea.
She believes that increasing the pay of elected officials should attract a greater range of people to seek office, including more early and mid-career professionals.
She also argues that keeping salaries low “reinforces a low-effort system” where elected officials are “reluctant to do more than the bare minimum.”
