A pay raise would be nice

The Kativik Regional Government’s new council was dismayed to find out that it can’t make a resolution to increase the money paid to regional councillors. The payments to councillors were reviewed by Quebec officials in 2003, said KRG lawyers, and these are unlikely to change.

“There are a lot of people who are going hunting right now and here we are,” said one disgruntled councillor. “I think we deserve a raise.”

“It needs a good review,” said Maggie Emudluk, who was elected the new chair of the KRG. “But we can’t put it in the budget right away. The Quebec government has a say.”

Every member of the regional council receives $11,000. The speaker receives an additional $1,660, the deputy speaker $800, while executive members receive $20,000, the chairperson $73,000 and the vice-chairperson $54,000. These amounts are supplemented by generous per diems and travel expenses in conjunction with each regional council meeting.

The regional council mandated the KRG legal department to check into the amounts given to the boards of other regional organizations in Nunavik and report back at the next meeting.