- Grenada seeking increase compensation for parliamentarians
Grenada’s Minister of Finance, Dennis Cornwall, has declared that the issue of enhanced remuneration for lawmakers will be placed before the House Committee for consideration and determination in order to boost parliamentary representation.
According to him, this would be led by the Commonwealth Parliamentarians Pay and Remuneration review Outcome Report 2020-2021, which provides a complete review of parliamentarian salaries and allowances across Commonwealth nations.
According to the finance minister, the government would propose a monthly compensation of $5,000 for each elected Member of Parliament, regardless of party affiliation.
The government shall also propose a Constituency Provision of $120,000 per year for each elected Member of Parliament, regardless of party affiliation.
A salary of $3,500 is also proposed for Senate members, regardless of whether they are selected by the government, the opposition, or an independent.
Cornwall believes that if the public is informed that Parliamentarians who are not Cabinet members or Opposition members of parliament only receive a basic parliamentary allowance of $1,474 per month, while Senators receive a basic parliamentary income of $852 per month, the nation will be startled.
“This is clearly untenable,” Minister Cornwall adds, noting that the experience in other Caribbean countries ranging from Dominica to Trinidad and Tobago to The Bahamas is significantly different.
While successive governments have avoided addressing this issue, the Finance Minister believes that existing Members of Parliament should not continue to kick the can down the road for the next generation of Parliamentarians.
Cornwall was speaking at Monday’s Budget presentation.
