Legislators should get salary increase – Thomas

by Kenton X. Chance Tue, Jul 27, 2010

While the two main political parties here trumpet pay cuts for parliamentarians, social commentator and political activist Jomo Thomas says legislators should get a salary increase.{{more}}

Thomas, who is also General Secretary of the People’s Movement for Change (PMC), told SEARCHLIGHT that talks of reducing parliamentarians’ pay is “political populism”.

The Dr. Ralph Gonsalves led Unity Labour Party (ULP) administration reduced its parliamentarians pay by five per cent on the heels of the 2001 terror attacks in the United States.

Opposition Arnhim Eustace announced on July 18 at his New Democratic Party’s (NDP) convention that an NDP government will reduce parliamentarians’ pay.

Gonsalves last Tuesday, July 20, challenged Eustace to take a salary cut now, stating “you take five per cent cut now, Ralph Gonsalves will take 10; you take 15, I will take 20.”

But Thomas, a lawyer by profession, told SEARCHLIGHT last Saturday, July 24, that all this is “nice talk.”

“People who have very little wherewithal think that politicians make a tremendous amount of money. And when you say parliamentarians pay, it sounds good,” said Thomas , adding that his view was not the position of the PMC.

“I don’t think that any parliamentarian should get less than $10, 000 per month … these are not the nickel and dime days of the 60s and 70s and the 80s or even the 90s. This is the 21st Century, in which we need some of the best minds to help in the development of our societies,” he said.

Thomas said the existing remuneration would deter some professionals from giving up their private sector jobs to enter politics.

“Look at some of the guys who are being fielded as candidates. Clearly, most of them are of mediocre quality,” he said.

“Why should a politician make any less than what he would make in private life?” Thomas asked.

Thomas proposed a pay hike for parliamentarian but said it should be twinned with strong integrity legislation.

He, however, said a higher salary would not necessarily eradicate corruption among politicians.

Thomas said the country needs “strong integrity legislation with the teeth that we will be able to pursue and peruse the income statement, the property rights acquisition of all persons who are involved in public life.”

“So we can know whether people are doing things which they should not be doing while they are making money off the public purse,” he said.

Thomas said increasing parliamentarians’ pay “would not significantly cut into the cost of governance.”

He said while he did not know how much parliamentarians make; increasing their pay by even 50 per cent would not cost the state an additional $1 million per month.

“The money comes from where the public purse is paid now,” Thomas said of financing his proposed pay increase.

He said he supports a salary increase for parliamentarians even if it means borrowing an additional $1 million per month.