NDP wants MLAs who get extra money to report work they did

The Opposition NDP is questioning what the duties are for MLAs who were appointed as legislative secretaries with bonus pay, as few documents detailing their work are available.

NDP MLA David Forbes says when he was a legislative secretary more than a decade ago, he submitted a report and made recommendations on an education program, SchoolPLUS, he had been working on.

Earlier this month, Premier Scott Moe appointed a group of legislative secretaries with top-ups to their MLA salaries.

"These are times of constraint ... and here we have an increase [in government spending]," Forbes said on Tuesday, noting that he had once received around $14,000 for five months of work.

Of the 13 MLAs Premier Scott Moe appointed to the positions, 12 will get an extra $3,000 annually while the 13th — Nadine Wilson — will get $14,311 for her duties as legislative secretary to the premier. 

The practice of paying legislative secretaries was ended by former premier Brad Wall then partially restored in 2016. 

Forbes said if extra money is going to be paid, the public needs to know what work is being done.

"We're calling for them to do reports. We hope they do that the recommendations are public. That will be a great thing and that will be moving the goal posts in the right way," Forbes said.

Deputy Premier Gordon Wyant said there have been reports made public by Saskatchewan Party legislative secretaries, such as a report on bullying and cyberbullying from former MLA Jennifer Campeau.

Wyant said there are also formal and informal discussions that take place related to the secretaries' duties, but aren't made public. 

"The work they're doing, I think it's fair they're provided a little bit of additional compensation," he said. "They still have all the work to do to support their constituents and the work they do in the house."​

When questioned about whether or not these legislative secretaries should show their work in publicly available documents, Wyant said the premier will make it clear to his cabinet that secretaries should be doing "meaningful work" to move the Sask. Party agenda forward.