this post was submitted on 31 Mar 2024
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Did you know that almost every MP/MPP/MLA, and certainly every Conservative MP/MPP/MLA, is already independently wealthy and doesn't really care about their salary?
Bitching about MP salaries is a big red herring that just further gatekeeps representative government by ensuring that only people who are already wealthy will run.
I mean, it's basically impossible for young and/or poor people to run for office today, since you need both time and money, which no one who isn't independently wealthy, has. Take time off work and go into debt in order to run for office? Hahaha fuck no. This tempest-in-a-teapot just makes it worse.
I don't really see the logic here. They're already wealthy so who cares if they get a raise? All the more reason they don't need one, it's so out of touch with the rest of the country.
The logic is that they're all rich because a regular Canadian can't afford to be an MP - if we raise MP salaries we'll open the door for regular people to compete without significantly impacting the wealth of current MPs.
I'm confused, I thought the issue was that regular Canadians can't afford to run for MP. I find it hard to believe anyone would struggle to live on nearly $200,000 after being elected. Are you suggesting people would be incentivized to go into debt campaigning for the chance to be elected if their potential future wage was a little higher? There has to be a better use of that money, even in an elections context. Why not some form of funding for "low income" candidates, possibly a loan that's partially forgiven based on votes? I don't know what the solution is, but I just can't see how voting yourself a raise (especially on the same day as unpopular tax hikes) can be seen as anything other than tone deaf.
Then we should stop referring to it as a democracy because clearly it functions as a plutocracy, a government of the wealthy and a system that works on wealth and power instead of the will of the people.
It definitely is a dumb emotional issue in the grand scheme of things, but I feel like I could get by on $194K per year if I were elected MP without being independently wealthy.
I feel like to get competent people you have to pay something like they'd get in the wild. This is not me saying I think they're competent though.
Yeah this is a much better point. In theory you want people that are their top of their field to be in these positions.