Politician pay freezes are easy and popular; that’s why, for the past 16 years, the salaries of Ontario’s Members of Provincial Parliament have been frozen. MPPs have been paid a base salary of $116,550 per year.
Virtually all government members receive top-ups as cabinet ministers, parliamentary assistants, or committee chairs.
The relatively low pay, considering the hours and desired qualifications, was discouraging qualified people from seeking elected office in the legislature. Many municipal councillors receive higher pay, better benefits, and have pension plans.
Today, Premier Doug Ford announced that MPP salaries will increase by approximately 35 percent and be indexed to 75 percent of the salary of a federal Member of Parliament.
MPPs base salary will be $157,350, retroactive to February 27. [Brampton, Mississauga, and Toronto councillors will continue to have higher salaries.]
Ontario’s MPPs will now have a pension plan – something that Ontario’s last Conservative Premier Mike Harris eliminated in 1995.
Recently, it was revealed that former MPP Lorenzo Berardinetti was living in a homeless shelter following a series of unfortunate life events.
The pay increases are long overdue, and the indexing will help remove the politicization that has led to our current sad state of affairs.
If you think $157,350 is too much to pay your MPP, then you should consider electing a better one.
The conversation should always be about value and values.
Underpaying people is poor policy, bad value, and reflective of deficient values.
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Published: May 29, 2025
Last updated: May 29, 2025
Author: Joey Coleman
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