An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act

Summary#

This bill updates parts of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act that set pay and allowances for Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and certain office holders. It replaces the compensation schedule and adds an annual inflation adjustment for some expense reimbursement limits. The broad goal appears to be to set clear amounts in law and keep certain expense caps aligned with inflation.

Key changes:

• Replaces the Schedule that sets MLA pay and allowances, effective April 1, 2024.
• Sets base pay for every MLA at $117,668 per year.
• Sets extra annual pay for office holders (Premier, Ministers, Speaker, committee chairs, and others) in fixed amounts.
• Lists an annual expense allowance of $8,786, including a line for members who live outside commuting distance (daily travel distance) of the capital, also at $8,786.
• Ties the MLA “northern allowance” to the amount for the member’s community used in the GNWT public service collective agreement, and any agreement that replaces it.
• Adjusts certain MLA expense reimbursement caps every April 1 by the average change in Canada’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) over the previous five years.
• Sets a $4,259 top-up amount for the transition allowance provision.

What it means for you#

• MLAs

  • Base pay is set at $117,668 per fiscal year.
  • You receive extra annual pay if you hold certain roles:
    • Premier: $96,991
    • Minister (other than the Premier): $69,516
    • Speaker: $57,328
    • Deputy Speaker: $8,587
    • Deputy Chair of Committee of the Whole: $5,154
    • Chair of a standing committee: $7,608 (Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight: $11,210)
    • Chair of a special committee: $3,805
    • Chair of Caucus: $3,805
    • Member of the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight plus one other standing committee or Board of Management: $2,129; if plus more than one other, $4,259
  • An “allowance for expenses” is listed as:
    • $8,786 for a member; and
    • $8,786 for a member whose ordinary residence is not within commuting distance of the capital.
    • What is unclear: The bill lists both amounts at the same dollar figure and does not state whether these are separate, cumulative, or alternatives.
  • A northern allowance is paid each year based on the amount for your home community in the GNWT public service collective agreement (or any agreement that replaces it).
  • Certain caps on expense reimbursements will be adjusted every April 1 using the five‑year average change in the national CPI (a measure of inflation). This could mean small annual increases or decreases.
  • The transition allowance provision includes a $4,259 augmentation amount.

• Legislative Assembly administration

  • Must update payroll and allowances to the new Schedule starting April 1, 2024.
  • Must apply the five‑year average CPI adjustment each April 1 to the affected reimbursement caps.
  • Must track northern allowance by members’ home communities using the amounts in the current public service collective agreement (and any successor agreement).

• Residents and taxpayers

  • No direct action is required. The main effects are on how MLA compensation and certain expense limits are set and adjusted, which can affect public spending on elected officials.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

• The bill fixes specific annual amounts for MLA pay and role-based top‑ups and sets an expense allowance; this sets compensation costs in law.
• Some reimbursement caps will adjust automatically each year with the five‑year average CPI, which could raise or lower costs over time.
• Northern allowance amounts for MLAs will track the public service collective agreement schedule for each community.
• The net change in costs compared to prior amounts is not stated.

Proponents' View#

• The bill appears intended to provide clear, updated pay and allowance amounts for MLAs and office holders.
• Linking certain reimbursement caps to a five‑year average of CPI could keep limits in line with inflation while smoothing year‑to‑year swings.
• Using the community-based northern allowance from the public service agreement could ensure consistency with established cost-of-living measures already used by government.
• A single updated Schedule may improve transparency by listing all key compensation amounts in one place.
• Setting a fixed augmentation for the transition allowance clarifies what departing members may receive under that provision.

Opponents' View#

• One concern is cost: updating pay and allowances and indexing some caps to inflation could increase public spending, but the bill provides no cost estimate.
• The bill uses Canada’s CPI, not a Northwest Territories-specific index; this may not fully reflect local price changes.
• The northern allowance is tied to amounts set in a public service collective agreement. This could reduce independent legislative control over that allowance, since changes would follow external negotiations.
• The expense allowance section lists two identical dollar amounts (including one for members living outside commuting distance of the capital) but does not explain whether they are separate or alternative; this may cause confusion.
• The bill does not set review, reporting, or oversight measures for these amounts beyond the CPI rule, leaving questions about how future adjustments (other than CPI-linked ones) will be assessed.