MLAs in Nova Scotia are getting a $921 increase in their constituency office budgets, marking the first adjustment to those expenses since 2012.
The change, along with a new policy to automatically tie future increases to the cost of living, was approved by an all-party committee following recommendations from an independent review panel made up of senior government officials.
Office budgets for MLAs now range from $5,500 to $5,800 per month, depending on the size of the constituency. Previous attempts to raise the budget had been blocked by successive governments.
The committee also approved an increase to the rental allowance for MLAs and cabinet ministers who live more than 100 kilometres from Province House. The maximum amount they can claim for apartment rent in Halifax is rising to $2,100, up from $1,700 for cabinet ministers and $1,500 for other MLAs.
Currently, 25 MLAs qualify for rental assistance, while the remaining 30 live close enough to commute daily. The independent panel also recommended lowering the distance requirement to 50 kilometres, which would expand eligibility to four more MLAs, but that change has not yet been implemented.
A separate bill expected to pass this spring will enact the panel’s recommendation to give MLAs their first salary increase in 12 years.
