Recently, when Robert Mitchell decided to call it quits, I was left with the question — do we need to have the numbers of MLAs that we have in the first place? When I looked into what the other provinces have as elected MLAs, I was blown away.
Here are some examples:
- In Nova Scotia, they have 972,000 people represented by 51 MLAs.
- In New Brunswick, they have 762,000 people represented by 49 MLAs.
- Here on P.E.I. we have 158,000 people represented by 27 MLAs.
This works out like this: in N.S. one MLA represents 19,000 people, in N.B. one MLA represents 15,000 people, while here on P.E.I. one MLA represents 5,800 people.
Then I looked into the wages that MLAs are paid. N.S pays their MLAs $89,000 to represent 19,000 people, N.B. pays their MLAs $85,000 to represent 15,000 people. Here on P.E.I., we pay MLAs $75,000 to represent 5,800 people. So what this means is that here on P.E.I. we have the highest paid MLAs in the Maritimes, let alone the rest of the country.
When I looked at these facts, I believe that it really isn't necessary to have a byelection to replace Mitchell because I think that if the other 26 MLAs step up to the plate and add 220 more Islanders to the numbers they represent, the job will get done and Islanders will save $75,000 plus expenses.
Bruce MacIsaac,
Charlottetown