Canadian Press
TORONTO — The Liberal government's move to close off debate on legislation giving members of the Ontario legislature a 25 per cent pay raise was condemned by the NDP on Wednesday, but supported by the Opposition Conservatives.
The government filed three time-allocation motions so it could have options ready to block a move by the New Democrats, who oppose the $22,000 increase in base salary, to force the pay raise bill to committee for public hearings.
"It's pretty reprehensible," said NDP house leader Peter Kormos, who has been leading his party's fight against the salary increase.
"The Liberals and Conservatives haven't participated in the (pay raise) debate at all, and they want to make sure there's no further debate, and no public participation."
The government and Opposition have been mostly silent in the legislative debate on the raise, and are frustrated with the New Democrats for forcing the legislature to sit this week to approve the salary hike.
Conservative Leader John Tory defended the government's closure motion, even as he compared time-allocation moves by the Liberals on a human rights bill to bringing down a "guillotine" on debate.
"I think it is better for the legislation now to be passed before Christmas and to put the issue behind us," Tory said.
"I think in this case, given the timing where we're right up against Christmas, it's appropriate to pass the bill."
Tory said the public had a chance to comment on the pay raise by phoning or e-mailing him and other politicians, and he noted he personally responded to every e-mail he received on the topic.
But that's no substitute for public hearings by a legislative committee, Kormos said.
"For Mr. Tory to say that is the height of hypocrisy, in the context of this bill, which grants huge salary, pension and severance increases to MPPs."
The legislation would boost the base salary for members of the legislature to more than $110,000, and give cabinet ministers a $31,000 increase to $157,633 a year. Premier Dalton McGuinty would get a $39,000 raise to $198,620 a year.
McGuinty has defended the salary increase as necessary to stop the Ontario legislature from becoming a "farm team" for the House of Commons, where members of Parliament earn 40 per cent more than their provincial cousins.
He said the raise will bring them up to 75 per cent of what an MP makes in Ottawa for representing the same ridings.
The salary legislation is expected to get final reading Thursday, allowing the legislature to break for Christmas one week after it was originally scheduled to begin a three-month recess.