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Globe and Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
The politics of paying for politicians
For most employees, a compensation discussion goes this way: the worker makes the case they deserve a certain amount of money and the boss decides. For too many politicians, they're making the case to themselves. They are, unsurprisingly, often successful. There is such a clear conflict of interest that it's amazing this pattern continues. But it does. In March, Toronto city councillors voted to boost their annual compensation to about $170,000 after flights of high rhetoric that included the city budget chief urging fellow councillors to 'be brave.' The bravery that is, to approve your own raise. The councillors found the extra bravery to make the increase retroactive to the start of the year. Then, last month, Ontario politicians shoved a raise through the legislature with unseemly speed. With cross-party support, a bill boosting compensation and creating a Member of Provincial Parliament defined-benefit pension plan was approved in minutes, with neither debate nor recorded votes. Base-level MPP compensation rose to about $157,000, which is 75 per cent of a federal Member of Parliament's pay. It was also retroactive, to February's provincial election. In fairness, Ontario MPP salaries had been frozen since 2009, a situation that disproportionately affected opposition politicians. The government was able to reward its members with ministerial or associate minister roles – these come with extra money and about half of Tory MPPs currently have such titles – while those on the opposition benches didn't enjoy these bump-ups. But there are right and wrong ways to remedy a situation. The proper amount to pay politicians is a difficult question. A starting point is that politics must pay enough that it is not a job that can be done only by people who are otherwise wealthy. That would skew representation and leave most of the population unable, practically speaking, to run for office. Public office should also attract the best and brightest of society. Depending on what job a prospective politician would otherwise do, that may involve some level of pay cut. But it should not mean so severe a haircut that choosing public service is a punitive decision. That said, pay should not be so high that politicians are motivated to stick around strictly for the money. Political turnover is good for democracy and the incumbent advantage is strong enough that many can stay as long as they like. Are there ways to thread that needle? Yes, and it can be done without politicians rewarding themselves. One approach would be to link politician wages to metrics over which they have influence. That could mean compensation for provincial politicians rises when the economy grows, for example, or that city councillors get a raise if homelessness levels decline. School board trustee pay could be linked to education outcomes. In British Columbia, opposition leader John Rustad argues for tying raises for Members of the Legislative Assembly to average salary increases in the province. Another approach is to benchmark politicians against each other, as Ontario is doing. Corporate compensation is often set this way, based on analysis of peer jobs. But that can lead to galloping upward pressure. And elected positions are hard to compare. Should politicians with more constituents get paid more? Is the size of budget being managed relevant? Do politicians in a whipped-vote party system not have to work as hard? Should councillors in pricey cities make more? Whatever the method, the fairest way to land on appropriate compensation is to rely on a third-party group. In Ontario, the city of London goes through an independent review process every four years. The current group, volunteers paid an honorarium whose names were proposed by city staff, will report in October its recommendations around salary, severance, workload and staffing support. Council will then vote on the report. Crucially, though, that vote in London won't change the salaries of the current council. The changes would take effect for the next term of office, meaning that voters still have a chance to weigh in. It's possible they will feel that some councillors aren't worth a raise. This is a good approach, making the public the ultimate arbiter of whether a pay bump is warranted. Politicians boosting their pay immediately or, worse, retroactively, is clearly unacceptable. If they insist on doing that, their bosses – voters – should send them packing. Punt back them into the private sector.
CBC
03-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
Dog attacks and feral cats: Here's how the City of Edmonton is revamping its animal bylaw
Social Sharing The City of Edmonton is exploring stricter regulations for dogs and feral cats to address public safety. The review comes as the city's Animal Licensing and Control Bylaw will be revamped after more than 20 years. Members of the public, which ranged from veterinarians and animal researchers, spoke at Monday's community and public services committee meeting at city hall. The recommendations made by administration largely focus on animal welfare, dog attacks and bites, restricted dog regulations and cat regulations. A dog is not deemed restricted until convicted under the bylaw for chasing, attacking or biting potentially resulting in injury. The bylaw proposes to increase penalties for dog attacks. For instance, fines for a dog chasing a person or animal would go from $100 to $250. For a dog bite or attack, the city recommends maintaining the current $500 fine, but raising a second offence to $1,000. It also recommends imposing mandatory dog training for some restricted dogs, requiring they get microchipped, and mandating owner reporting for dog bite incidents. Administration told city councillors that the recommendations were based on two years of research and community engagement with Edmontonians, interested parties and experts. WATCH | Edmonton's animal bylaw is changing: Edmonton is updating its 20-year-old animal control bylaw 1 day ago Duration 2:31 One city councillor is pleased about the proposed increase in fines for dog attacks. An advocate says the city needs to encourage more owners to tag or microchip their pets. A draft bylaw is in front of committee on Monday for feedback. Coun. Keren Tang said she's heard a surge of concerns about animal safety after a dog attack in her ward led to the death of a child last spring. "This chilling and tragic incident impacted not just one family, but impacted a whole community," Tang said at the meeting. "I'm glad to see you're bringing that the penalties up to be more reflective of also other jurisdictions." Feral cats A point of contention from public speakers included defining which cats are feral and how to regulate their behaviour. Feral cats are not defined in the current bylaw, meaning that all cats, regardless of ownership are classified the same. Administration estimated that up to 70,000 feral cats live in Edmonton. The bylaw revamp would look at definitions for feral cats, feral cat colonies, and trap-neuter-return programs to reduce the feral cat population. Amy Wilson, a veterinarian and University of British Columbia adjunct professor, had concerns about roaming cats as a source of disease, with pathogens from their feces persisting in soil and water for years. "I find that the public is generally completely unaware of this risk. And so by allowing free roaming cats on private and public areas, people are being exposed without their knowledge and without their consent." She said that trap-neuter-return programs are logistically intensive and are not as effective as people think. And that removal of some cats through adoptions, feral cat sanctuaries, and sometimes euthanasia are needed for programs to be successful. "If you do want to have any population decrease at all, you need to ensure that 75 to 90 per cent of the population is sterilized at all times, which in most populations is not achievable." Administration clarified the bylaw would exempt unowned feral cats from licensing requirements. Colleen Cassady St. Clair, a University of Alberta biologist, said that will help incentivize people to participate in the trap-neuter-return program. "I realize this view may seem counterintuitive to the goal of controlling feral cats," St. Clair said. "I have this view because residents who love cats and organizations that are devoted to the welfare of individual animals are unlikely to participate in city sanction programs that euthanize cats." She said the new bylaw will help different groups work together to control feral populations without removing cats from the community. The community and public services committee approved the policy direction and administration will prepare and present the new bylaw on August 11.
CBC
28-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Winnipeg council hearing on zoning changes could last days: councillor
Winnipeg city councillors are preparing for what could be a marathon meeting next Monday, where they'll discuss major zoning changes being proposed as part of an agreement to get millions of dollars in housing funding from the federal government.
CTV News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Council restores funding to school food program
Vancouver Watch Vancouver city councillors unanimously passed a motion Wednesday to restore an annual fund to help the city's school board provide student meals.
