At least 5 MLAs to gain right to taxpayer-funded Halifax apartment

Nova Scotia Finance Minister John Lohr will soon be apartment hunting, joining other members of the legislature who bill taxpayers for a Halifax pied-à-terre.

As part of a change to the House of Assembly Act, the Speaker, two cabinet ministers — including Lohr — and at least two PC backbenchers will be eligible for the housing allowance, which is already used by 25 of the 55 MLAs in the House.

"The three-hour drive daily, I've done it for a long time," said Lohr, who was first elected as the MLA for Kings North in 2013. "I really didn't mind that most of those years, but it becomes tiring."

Under the existing rules, representatives who live at least 100 kilometres from Province House — known as outside members — are eligible for the allowance. Now that distance is being amended to 50 kilometres.

An independent panel made up of three senior bureaucrats suggested the change as part of a review of the salaries and benefits available to members of the House.

Lohr, whose home is just a half kilometre short of the existing 100-kilometre limit, said he intends to look for a Halifax apartment once the change is formally adopted by the House.

His cabinet colleague Scott Armstrong, the minister of opportunities and social development, said he would consider taking advantage of the entitlement.

The Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley MLA said his ministry "is pretty hands on," meaning plenty of time spent in the city.

"There's a lot of times I'm here at night, working hard," he said.

Armstrong suggested if he wasn't in cabinet, he might be less inclined to rent a place in the city.

Others still deciding

Other new outside members — Speaker Danielle Barkhouse, the PC MLA for Chester-St. Margaret's; Melissa Sheehy-Richard, the PC MLA for Hants West; and Dave Ritcey, the PC MLA for Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River —all said they were not sure if they would avail themselves of the new entitlement. Barkhouse lives near Chester, Sheehy-Richard has a home in Windsor and Ritcey is a Truro resident.

There is only one MLA who has the right to an apartment but is reimbursed for a hotel room instead. Independent MLA Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin, who represents Cumberland North, rents a room during sittings instead of renting an apartment year-round. 

The Nova Scotia Legislature normally sits twice a year, in the spring and fall, and usually for six to eight weeks. That's among the least amount of time for any legislature in Canada.

This week, an all-party committee of the legislature adopted other non-binding recommendations including increasing the housing allowance to $2,100 a month and increasing the expense allowance for MLAs by $921 a month. 

A bill before the House will provide MLAs with their first salary increase since 2013, one of the panel's binding recommendations.