The Minister of Justice says politicians who vote against an increase in pay for provincial court judges are making a big mistake.
A tribunal is recommending an increase of about seven per cent over four years, a total of about $400,000.
The decision will be brought to vote in the House of Assembly on Thursday.
Most in the House would have gone along with it this time last year but, given the economic situation in COVID times, it appears that only government MHAs are going to vote for it.
Minister Andrew Parsons asked those in the Legislature to sit in on a briefing today by solicitors in his department before tomorrow’s vote. The last time such a raise was rejected, judges took it to court and won.
Parsons said he doesn’t feel good about going to Sobeys and hearing people say to him, “My god, are you glad you gave the judges that raise?” He will try to explain the rationale behind it, but that doesn’t always succeed.
NDP MHA Jim Dinn, a former president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association, has a problem with the makeup of the tribunal which recommended the increase – they’re all lawyers.
Dinn says he would have gotten great contracts for teachers had tribunals in his days as president been made up solely of teachers.
The judges already make over $250,000 a year. Most in the House would have gone along with the increase in normal times, but MHAs say these are not normal times as many people who would normally be working do not even know if they will have a job.