SEVERANCE SEVERED

No extra pay for MLAS turned MP

REGINA Two former Saskatchewan MLAS who won seats in the House of Commons on Tuesday no longer will receive the severance payments that stoked controversy when they resigned from the provincial legislature.

The Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly’s Board of Internal Economy changed its directives on Wednesday to cut off transitional allowances for MLAS who become MPS or senators. Saskatchewan Party MLA Jeremy Harrison, who sits on the board, confirmed the decision will apply to Corey Tochor and Warren Steinley.

Harrison said the vote was unanimous and takes effect as of Oct. 21, the day the two became MPS by winning election to Parliament.

Both Steinley and Tochor resigned as MLAS on Sept. 11, the official start of the federal election campaign, to run for the Conservative Party of Canada in Saskatoon and Regina ridings. Previous rules would have entitled them to one month of MLA pay for every year of service.

Steinley said he’s comfortable with the board’s decision.

“We always said we follow Board of Internal Economy decisions, and that’s a decision they’ve made,” he said. “We’re more than happy to abide.” He said he hasn’t yet received a dime from the provincial government since he resigned his seat, due to not having initially filled out the requisite paperwork. Harrison said Steinley and Tochor are still entitled to payments for the weeks between their resignation as MLAS and their victories on Oct. 21.

NDP leader Ryan Meili concurred with the board’s directive, but he has more on his mind than severance pay. He again faulted Steinley and Tochor for collecting MLA paycheques during the months they spent campaigning for federal office before the election was called in September.

“They should have stepped down,” he said.

Meili also repeated his objection to the premier’s refusal to call by-elections for the seats left vacant by Steinley and Tochor. The government has argued that calling by-elections so soon before the 2020 election would be needlessly expensive, but Meili pointed out the government had no issue with bringing on more MLAS the last time the Legislative Assembly was expanded.

“That cost much, much more than a by-election would,” he said. “They have no problem with that.”

Harrison countered by pointing to comments suggesting the NDP supported the notion of improving representation in the assembly at the time, though the NDP later pointed out that they voted against expanding it with new MLAS

Meili has a far less generous interpretation of why the premier isn’t calling byelections. The NDP has won three urban byelections this term, and Meili argued the Saskatchewan Party doesn’t want to risk two more.

“They’re afraid that they’ll lose those seats,” he said.