At least 5 MLAs to gain right to taxpayer-funded Halifax apartment
Nova Scotia Finance Minister John Lohr will soon be apartment hunting, joining other members of the legislature who bill taxpayers for a Halifax pied-à-terre.
As part of a change to the House of Assembly Act, the Speaker, two cabinet ministers — including Lohr — and at least two PC backbenchers will be eligible for the housing allowance, which is already used by 25 of the 55 MLAs in the House.
"The three-hour drive daily, I've done it for a long time," said Lohr, who was first elected as the MLA for Kings North in 2013. "I really didn't mind that most of those years, but it becomes tiring."
Under the existing rules, representatives who live at least 100 kilometres from Province House — known as outside members — are eligible for the allowance. Now that distance is being amended to 50 kilometres.
An independent panel made up of three senior bureaucrats suggested the change as part of a review of the salaries and benefits available to members of the House.
Lohr, whose home is just a half kilometre short of the existing 100-kilometre limit, said he intends to look for a Halifax apartment once the change is formally adopted by the House.
His cabinet colleague Scott Armstrong, the minister of opportunities and social development, said he would consider taking advantage of the entitlement.
The Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley MLA said his ministry "is pretty hands on," meaning plenty of time spent in the city.
"There's a lot of times I'm here at night, working hard," he said.
Armstrong suggested if he wasn't in cabinet, he might be less inclined to rent a place in the city.
Others still deciding
Other new outside members — Speaker Danielle Barkhouse, the PC MLA for Chester-St. Margaret's; Melissa Sheehy-Richard, the PC MLA for Hants West; and Dave Ritcey, the PC MLA for Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River —all said they were not sure if they would avail themselves of the new entitlement. Barkhouse lives near Chester, Sheehy-Richard has a home in Windsor and Ritcey is a Truro resident.
There is only one MLA who has the right to an apartment but is reimbursed for a hotel room instead. Independent MLA Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin, who represents Cumberland North, rents a room during sittings instead of renting an apartment year-round.
The Nova Scotia Legislature normally sits twice a year, in the spring and fall, and usually for six to eight weeks. That's among the least amount of time for any legislature in Canada.
This week, an all-party committee of the legislature adopted other non-binding recommendations including increasing the housing allowance to $2,100 a month and increasing the expense allowance for MLAs by $921 a month.
A bill before the House will provide MLAs with their first salary increase since 2013, one of the panel's binding recommendations.
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Winnipeg Free Press
7 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
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Winnipeg Free Press
14 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
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Toronto Sun
a day ago
- Toronto Sun
Mike Johnson downplays Musk's influence and says Republicans will pass Trump's tax and budget bill
Published Jun 08, 2025 • 3 minute read Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., wraps up a news conference on President Donald Trump's bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. Photo by J. Scott Applewhite / AP With an uncharacteristically feistiness, Speaker Mike Johnson took clear sides Sunday in President Donald Trump's breakup with mega-billionaire Elon Musk. The Republican House leader and staunch Trump ally said Musk's criticism of the GOP's massive tax and budget policy bill will not derail the measure, and he downplayed Musk's influence over the GOP-controlled Congress. 'I didn't go out to craft a piece of legislation to please the richest man in the world,' Johnson said on ABC's 'This Week.' 'What we're trying to do is help hardworking Americans who are trying to provide for their families and make ends meet,' Johnson insisted. Johnson said he has exchanged text messages with Musk since the former chief of Trump's Department of Government Efficiency came out against the GOP bill. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Speaker Mike Johnson on the Trump-Musk feud: 'Hopefully these two titans can reconcile. I think the president's head is in the right place … There's a lot of emotion involved in it, but it's in the interest of the country for everybody to work together.' — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) June 8, 2025 Musk called it an 'abomination' that would add to U.S. debts and threaten economic stability. He urged voters to flood Capitol Hill with calls to vote against the measure, which is pending in the Senate after clearing the House. His criticism sparked an angry social media back-and-forth with Trump, who told reporters over the weekend that he has no desire to repair his relationship with Musk. The speaker was dismissive of Musk's threats to finance opponents — even Democrats — of Republican members who back Trump's bill. 'We've got almost no calls to the offices, any Republican member of Congress,' Johnson said. 'And I think that indicates that people are taking a wait and see attitude. Some who may be convinced by some of his arguments, but the rest understand: this is a very exciting piece of legislation.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Johnson argued that Musk still believes 'that our policies are better for human flourishing. They're better for the US economy. They're better for everything that he's involved in with his innovation and job creation and entrepreneurship.' RECOMMENDED VIDEO The speaker and other Republicans, including Trump's White House budget chief, continued their push back Sunday against forecasts that their tax and budget plans will add to annual deficits and thus balloon a national debt already climbing toward $40 trillion. Johnson insisted that Musk has bad information, and the speaker disputed the forecasts of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that scores budget legislation. The bill would extend the 2017 Trump tax cuts, cut spending and reduce some other levies but also leave some 10.9 million more people without health insurance and spike deficits by $2.4 trillion over the decade, according to the CBO's analysis. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The speaker countered with arguments Republicans have made for decades: That lower taxes and spending cuts would spur economic growth that ensure deficits fall. Annual deficits and the overall debt actually climbed during the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, and during Trump's first presidency, even after sweeping tax cuts. Russell Vought, who leads the White House Office of Budget and Management, said on Fox News Sunday that CBO analysts base their models of 'artificial baselines.' Because the 2017 tax law set the lower rates to expire, CBO's cost estimates, Vought argued, presuming a return to the higher rates before that law went into effect. Vought acknowledged CBO's charge from Congress is to analyze legislation and current law as it is written. But he said the office could issue additional analyses, implying it would be friendlier to GOP goals. Asked whether the White House would ask for alternative estimates, Vought again put the burden on CBO, repeating that congressional rules allow the office to publish more analysis. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Read More Other Republicans, meanwhile, approached the Trump-Musk battle cautiously. 'As a former professional fighter, I learned a long time ago, don't get between two fighters,' said Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin on CNN's 'State of the Union.' He even compared the two billionaire businessmen to a married couple. 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