Check It Out: MP stands alone as he refuses his annual pay raise

By Joan Janzen

Actor Tim Allen once said, “You can’t keep sleeping on my couch. I want the memory foam to have a chance to forget about you.” It was a line from the comedy Last Man Standing, which aired a decade ago. Fast forward to 2026, and we see “one man standing” in Canada.

Member of Parliament Mike Dawson wrote a letter to the clerk at the House of Commons asking payroll not to give him a pay hike. So far, he’s the only MP to decline the automatic pay raise scheduled for April 1.

The New Brunswick MP said he thought it was distasteful to take a pay raise when so many working men and women are struggling to afford the basics. He’s received thousands of emails from Canadians thanking him for taking a stand.

MPs earn an annual salary of more than $200,000 and are set to receive an increase of about $8,000 on April 1. Kris Sims from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) asked MP Dawson about the issue on the CTF podcast.

“Canada is in difficult times right now with the way the economy is going, so I don’t think it’s time for MPs to take a pay raise,” he said, noting his increase would amount to approximately $8,800. “I said when I was going to run provincially and federally that I wouldn’t forget where I came from, and I haven’t.”

Prior to being elected, Dawson worked as a drywaller in New Brunswick. “I have more respect for tradespeople than people who are wearing suits every day,” he added.

Judging by the response he’s received, people have noticed. He said his Ottawa office has received about 8,000 emails on the topic, along with thousands of messages to his personal phone. “It’s unbelievable how many people reached out,” he commented.

“For me, it doesn’t matter if there’s a parade behind me or not. I’d like to see others do it, but I didn’t do it for publicity. I did it because it was the right thing to do for me. I know where I come from and I know how I started,” he explained.

Gage Haubrich, the CTF’s Prairie director for Saskatchewan, said on the podcast, “Mike should not be standing alone; every MP should be standing with him. Since 2020 they’ve been taking pay raises every single year,” he said. “In Saskatchewan, MLAs make about $111,000 a year. That’s 167 per cent more than the average worker in Saskatchewan makes. Politicians are being paid way more than the people who pay their salaries.”

According to an online search, Canadian MPs are among the highest-paid federal politicians in the world. Historically, positions as Members of Parliament were reserved for the wealthy because little to no compensation was offered. In recent decades, compensation has increased to attract professionals from the private sector and reduce reliance on outside business interests.

CTF’s B.C. director, Carson Binda, said last year his province cancelled automatic pay raises due to public pressure. “They can do something about it; we call politicians lawmakers for a reason. They aren’t being forced to take their pay raises. This is common sense. Politicians are borrowing money, putting us in debt to take these pay raises. Stop taking pay raises while your constituents are struggling,” he said.

The cost of the federal bureaucracy has increased 80 per cent in the past decade, while critics argue service has worsened. The federal opposition and many Canadians say the bureaucracy needs to shrink, but little has been done. A pay freeze would be a step in the right direction. It’s not a new concept; one occurred from 2010–2013.

Franco Terrazzano of the CTF said, “There’s an entitlement culture with Members of Parliament where they feel entitled to give themselves a pay raise with your money every year on April 1. When will there be any politician to forcefully end the automatic pay raise culture in Ottawa?”

It appears MP Dawson is trying.

“I’m not your career politician; it’s just something I fell into. I try to represent the people the best way I can,” he said.

Now he remains the only MP refusing the raise. “If I can’t give it back, I’ll donate it to the food bank,” he concluded.

Imagine the impact if every government representative donated their pay raise to a local food bank.

Gage Haubrich reminded prairie residents that Saskatchewan will soon release its budget. “The budget will increase debt and increase taxes on taxpayers. That means those politicians are not doing a good job, and increasing their pay on top of that is ridiculous,” he said. “Make your voices heard. Call your MLAs, email them and highlight that they don’t need a pay raise.”

As for MP Dawson, he said, “I’m not a hero. I’m just an ordinary person, a drywaller from New Brunswick that the Liberals said shouldn’t be in Ottawa.”

A hero is defined as a person admired for courage or noble qualities. Dawson appears to fit that description.