Angry in the Great White North

Every MP gets a base salary (called a "sessional indemnity") of $144,300. Then if they hold other roles, they get more money on top.

The Prime Minister pulls down $288,600, as well as receiving a $2,122 car allowance, even if he is the multi-millionaire owner of a shipping fleet (sorry, his sons run it, which is entirely different).

Your run-of-the-mill ministers, including multi-millionaire heiresses to auto fortunes, get $213,500. They each also get a car allowance of $2,122. I don't know if that covers chauffeurs and their special protective services, or protection needed when enjoying the services of your special chauffeur.

If you are a minister of state (a junior cabinet minister), you get the $213,500, but no car allowance.

The Leader of the Opposition gets the same as a cabinet minister, including the car allowance.

The leader of other parties get $193,600, but no car allowance. Even leaders of avowed socialist parties get the same, presumably returned in large part to the proletariat to help with the struggle against the bourgeous class.

And so on and so forth -- it's all available for you to see.

The base salary in 2001 was $131,400, $135,000 in 2002, $139,200 in 2003, and $141,200 in 2004. Since 2001, MPs have received an average increase of 4.4% a year in base salary. Note that the bonuses on top of the base salary have increased by the same ratio year to year.

So keep the base salary of $144,300 in mind (as well as all the paid meals, sometimes two breakfasts in a single day!) as you read this:

MPs and public servants have been quietly awarded a 10% hike in their travel allowances in response to soaring gas prices, while the government refuses to cut federal fuel taxes to help the driving public.

The increase, to 50.6 cents a kilometre from 46 cents for MPs, with a similar range for public servants, would result in an allowance of $400 for a return trip by car from Ottawa to Toronto, excluding costs for meals and lodging.

No one is asking for these people to pay for all their gas. What we're expecting is that as gas prices fluctuate, that we hold off on increasing their allowance. In the meantime, the MPs swallow the incremental increase, out of the $144,300 they make every year.

Canadians all over are forced to handle of increases, and the government is offering no relief to drivers, insisting that the gasoline excise tax that constitute over 40% of the price at the pump cannot be lowered, and that the application of the 7% GST on the excise tax (a tax on a tax) cannot be stopped.

But we are expected to shift tax money from other government programs that directly impact us to increase the gas allowance given to MPs and civil servants.

How about decreasing income tax across the board, for all Canadians, to offset the increase in gas prices?

How about reducing the gax excise tax?

How about removing the GST from gasoline, or at least from the excise tax? Or lowering the GST altogether, to help all Canadian, whether they drive or not, since higher fuel prices affect the price of all goods?

But whatever we decide to do, for the government to tell Canadians that they are out of luck if they're expecting the government to provide any kind of relief at the pumps through the reduction of taxes, while using that tax money that we're paying at those same pumps to offset their own fuel costs is frustrating and insulting.

Unfortunately, it is the sort of Third-World-style despotism we've come to expect from our Liberal government.

Just the Liberals? Well, Conservative MP Jason Kenney is making the same point:

Calgary Conservative MP Jason Kenney said MPs should not get a travel allowance unless the public also receives help.

"I think it should be put on hold until all Canadians get some real gas tax relief," said Mr. Kenney, who said he does not own a car.

If they don't put it on hold, will Jason Kenney and his Conservative Party colleagues make a point to under-report their mileage expenses in order to compensate Canadians?

It's not like the money the MPs would not be drawing from the expense budget would be returned to Canadians, but sometimes symbolic gestures matter.

Should the NDP does the same? That was a trick question! Obviously, NDP MPs never submit expenses, but pay for everything out of their own pockets, thus leaving more money in the government's hands to pay for social programs.