Absentee MP to give back salary

OTTAWA — The case of a missing MP has taken another twist.

The Liberal party’s whip says Nicola Di Iorio, who hasn’t been seen on the Hill since Parliament resumed on Sept. 17, will give back the salary he receives during his final five months as an MP until his official retirement.

According to Mark Holland, the Montreal MP has decided to “donate his salary back” during the period from September to Jan. 22.

While he’s been absent from the House of Commons, Di Iorio was spotted at a cannabis trade show in Montreal last month, where he made a presentation in his capacity as a labour and employment lawyer.

The base annual salary for an MP is $172,700 but, according to parliamentary rules, an MP who is absent from the Commons can be docked $120 of salary per day for each absence over 21 days.