Pitt Meadows Maple Ridge Member of Parliament Marc Dalton is planning to donate his annual statutory pay increase to charities in the community.
He made the announcement in a message to constituents on Thursday where he addressed the current situation related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
An annual adjustment of 2.1 per cent will be applied to MP’s earnings starting April 1 as mandated by the provisions of the Parliament of Canada Act.
This means a gross annual increase of $3,700 from $178,900 in 2019 to $182,600, that translates into an extra $308.33 per month before taxes and other deductions.
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Dalton will receive the first increase by the end of the month.
So far a couple of the charities he plans to give to are the Friends In Need Food Bank and the Salvation Army.
Normally he doesn’t advertise the charities that he gives to, but this is a public increase, he said.
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“This is a legislated pay increase that was implemented in 2005,” explained Dalton.
“It’s based upon what the average increase is for government employees across all branches,” he said.
Dalton knows of another half a dozen MP’s that will be doing the same as him, although, he says, there are probably more.
“There are a lot of people losing their jobs. It’s a really tough time. Businesses are struggling,” he said adding that this is just really a small thing he can do.
“But it’s something,” he said.
cflanagan@mapleridgenews.com
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