Quebec OKs MNAs staff bonuses for flood work

Nineteen offices of members of the National Assembly will receive bonuses for responding to citizens during the springtime floods that affected thousands of Quebec homes.

The National Assembly has set aside a total of $85,000 for overtime for office staff in affected ridings.

A list provided by the Office of National Assembly (ONA) explains the bonuses are “because of overtime work caused by the numerous questions from voters and organizations,” they wrote.

The office of Liberal Pontiac (Outaouis) MNA André Fortin will receive the biggest sum of $14,800, followed by Liberal MNA Marc Carrière from Chapleau, also in Outaouais, with $10,900.

The ridings of Fabre (Laval) and Mirabel (Laurentians) will receive $9,200 and $9,000, respectively. The other 15 ridings on the list — from the Côte-Nord, Mauricie, the Centre-du-Québec, Lanaudière, Montreal and Gaspésie regions — will receive amounts between $1,000 and $5,800.

The ONA said the “MNAs and their staff needed to respond to multiple demands from their constituents and organizations in their ridings in regards to their eligibility for disaster relief programs.”

The ONA also said “even if the flooding has stopped, the MNAs and their staff are still responding to requests from citizens regarding claims that are still being processed.”

The National Assembly wouldn’t describe the procedure for awarding the bonuses, saying the decision was made in closed session by the ONA.

Even if the flooding has stopped, the MNAs and their staff are still responding to requests from citizens regarding claims that are still being processed.

Neither riding office of Pontiac nor Chapleau would respond to questions from the Presse Canadienne and referred all questions to chief government whip Stéphane Billette.

Last week, Josée Lévesque from Billette’s office said each riding received a lump sum of $20 per home affected in their constituency. She said this standard had been set during the Richelieu floods in 2011 that affected four ridings.

It is still unclear whether the MNAs or their employees applied for the bonuses or how the sums will be distributed in each office.

The spring floods affected 5,300 homes in 278 municipalities. Between 500 to 800 of those were either destroyed or deemed uninhabitable. More than 4,000 Quebecers were evacuated.