How much money does your MLA make?

The latest salary figures for Nunavut MLAs show they’ve done rather well for themselves lately, slurping up the same big wage and northern allowance increases that most GN workers got in last year’s new collective agreement, along with generous retroactive pay cheques.

For example, Premier Paul Okalik earned a tidy $151,755 as of March 31, 2005. That’s $18,335 more than the $133,420 he was paid in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2002.

In March 2002, the highest paid regular member was David Iqaqrialu of Uqqummiut, at $93,660. But that figure would now put him near the bottom of the pack. This year’s regular-member pay-cheque champion is Patterk Netser, who scooped up $100,930.

The speaker, Jobie Nutarak, isn’t starving either. He took in $144,924, which is $17,902 more than the $127,022 that speaker Kevin O’Brien received as of March 2002.

In addition to the pay numbers listed below, MLAs also get “living allowances” ranging from about $13,800 up to $31,280 a year, depending on the member.

They’re also looking after their future prospects. In the last session, they plumped up their supplementary pension plan by putting another $500,000 into it, within a supplementary appropriation passed in the face of a budget deficit.

Here’s a list of all Nunavut MLAs, showing how much money they paid themselves, as of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2005:
Paul Okalik
(Iqaluit West, Premier) $151,755
Jobie Nutarak
(Tunnuniq, Speaker) $144,924
David Simailak
(Baker Lake, Cabinet) $140,508
Levinia Brown
(Rankin South-Whale Cove, Cabinet) $139,976
Peter Kilabuk
(Pangnirtung, Cabinet) $137,658
Edward Picco
(Iqaluit East, Cabinet) $137,657
Olayuk Akesuk
(South Baffin) $137,554

Louis Tapardjuk
(Amittuq, Cabinet)
$136,995
Leona Aglukkaq
(Nattilik, Cabinet) $134,126
Patterk Netser
(Nanulik) $100,930
Joe Allen Evyagotailak
(Kugluktuk) $98,715
Levi Barnabas
(Quttiktuq) $98,402
James Arreak
(Uqqummiut) $98,266
Steve Mapsalak
(Aqulliq) $96,876
Keith Peterson
(Cambridge Bay) $94,047
David Alagalak
(Arviat) $93,786
Tagak Curley
(Rankin North) $93,540
Peter Kattuk
(Hudson Bay) $92,506
Hunter Tootoo
(Iqaluit Centre) $92,069