Pursuant to the Members’ Remuneration and Pensions Act, each Member of the Legislative Assembly receives basic compensation, with an additional salary if they hold a ministerial or parliamentary position. Information on Members’ compensation is reported publicly on the Legislative Assembly website and annually in the provincial Public Accounts.
Basic compensation for a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is established under the Members’ Remuneration and Pensions Act. Effective April 1, 2026, the annual basic compensation each Member receives is $122,042.91. Pursuant to the Act, Members’ basic compensation is increased on April 1 of each year in accordance with the BC Consumer Price Index for the preceding calendar year.
Basic compensation is payable from election day until the day before the next election. It is processed by Payroll Services and paid bi-weekly by direct deposit to a Member’s bank account.
The current gross bi-weekly amount is $4,681.10. Compulsory deductions are made for the Canada Pension Plan and income tax. The income tax deduction is determined by the standard tax-table amount or any specified amount on the TD1 tax form, to be completed by each Member. Members cannot pay into, or receive benefits from, the federal Employment Insurance program.
Depending on the benefit plans chosen by each Member, deductions will also be made for the related plan premiums or the tax amount related to the value of the taxable benefit received, where the premiums are partly or fully paid by the Legislative Assembly.
Members are required to complete the following forms upon election or following any changes to their personal situation that would require the forms to be updated:
- Personal Tax Credits Return TD1 (Federal and Provincial)
- Direct Deposit Authorization
- Emergency Contact Form
- Group Life Beneficiary Designation Form
- Pension Plan Member Record
Additional Benefit Forms are also available on the Client Care Portal:
- Application for Optional Life Insurance Form
- Application for Optional AD&D Form
- Beneficiary Designation – Canada Life
- Enrolment/Change/Termination for Extended Health Care and Dental Plan Form
- Evidence of Insurability Form
- Optional Family Funeral Benefit Form
Forms can be submitted to Client Care.
Members who hold ministerial or parliamentary roles receive an additional salary that corresponds to a percentage of their basic compensation. If a Member holds two or more positions for which an additional salary is granted, the Member will receive pay only for the position that pays the higher amount.
Click here for an outline of the amount paid with respect to service in any of the listed positions. The amount is paid in addition to the basic compensation on the bi-weekly payroll and is fully taxable.
The additional salary paid to a Member elected as Chair or Deputy Chair of a parliamentary committee is included in a Member’s bi-weekly pay. Payment will be made from the date the resolutions electing the Chair and Deputy Chair are passed by the committee until the last day of the bi-weekly pay period in which prorogation of the session occurs.
An MLA may claim up to $61 per day either when in Victoria or when travelling throughout the province on work-related trips. The per diem reimbursement is intended to cover the cost of meals and incidental expenses while a Member is away from their home or constituency. A per diem is not claimable when a Member is working in their constituency, except when attending a parliamentary committee meeting in their riding or if the Member travelled more than 50 kilometers in one day (excluding mileage between the Member’s home and constituency office).
Further details are available in the section on Travel Guidelines.
As required by the Members’ Remuneration and Pensions Act, Members must maintain a record of their attendance at House sittings and prepare a declaration outlining the reason for any absences. This declaration must be submitted to the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly or their designate between the 1st and 15th day of January and July each calendar year. Any absence in excess of those permitted under the Act will be deducted by Payroll Services at the rate of $300 per day from the Member’s basic compensation upon receipt of instructions from the Clerk.
In the unfortunate event that a Member passes away while holding office, basic compensation will be paid until the end of the month in which the Member dies. Final payments will be made to the Member’s estate. The designated beneficiary should contact Client Care for details regarding final payments and benefits. Payroll Services will contact the constituency office with instructions.
Allowances
Each Member of the Legislative Assembly has access to allowances to conduct their parliamentary and constituency work. Policy 7200 – Member Allowances establishes the purpose, administration, eligibility, and requirements for each allowance available to Members of the Legislative Assembly. The policy requires that allowances must not be used for non-parliamentary activities, and a Member must take proactive steps to ensure all agreements, contracts, and purchases using a Member allowance are made at an arm’s length.
This annual allowance is available by reimbursement to a Member to use for the installation or monitoring of a security system for their primary residence. To receive this allowance, a Member must submit an application and complete a Residential Security Allowance Agreement. To apply for this allowance, contact Client Care.
All Members are expected to have accommodation within reasonable distance to the Legislative Precinct so they may attend sessions of the Legislature, participate in the work of assigned parliamentary committees, and undertake other Member duties, as required. The Capital City Living Allowance (CCLA) provides funds for a Member to have temporary accommodation in the Victoria area while serving as an MLA.
Members are required to complete a Capital City Living Allowance Form to receive the Capital City Living Allowance. There are several options available to Members for the Capital City Living Allowance, depending upon whether they decide to rent accommodation, to purchase a second residence, or to stay in commercial hotel accommodation for days they must be in Victoria. Members eligible for this allowance may authorize Financial Services to pay expenses directly to a property manager, strata, or landlord. All other expenses will be reimbursed upon the presentation of receipts.
Requesting a Change
In order to switch accommodation options mid-fiscal year (April 1-March 31), Members must submit the Capital City Living Allowance Form and supporting documents to Client Care at least one month prior to when the change will take effect. All allowances are pro-rated based on the number of months under which the Member subscribed to each option.
Example: If the Member switches from the rental option to the hotel option in February, then the Member is entitled to ten months of reimbursement for the rental option and two months of reimbursement for the hotel option.
Rental: $26,529.00/12 = $2,210.75 per month. $2,210.75 x 10 months = $22,107.50
Hotel: $23,348.00/12 = $1,945.67 per month. $1,945.67 x 2 = $3,891.34
Maximum allowable allowance for the fiscal year: $22,107.50 + $3,891.34 = $25,998.84
The Legislative Assembly will pay up to the maximum allowance amount for the fiscal year for the Member’s chosen option (rental, ownership, hotel). Members are personally responsible for all expenses exceeding the annual maximum allowance.
This annual allowance is available to Members to operate their constituency office(s), pay constituency office staff salaries and related employer obligations, communicate with their constituents, and conduct their constituency work. Supplemental constituency office funding is also available for constituency office start-up expenses, office furniture and equipment, and in-constituency staff travel.
For information on submitting invoices for payment and reimbursement requests, please visit the Client Care Portal.
This annual allowance is available to Members to purchase specialized educational resources for outreach activities in their constituency. The allowance is available through the Parliamentary Education Office and Parliamentary Gift Shop. Read more about available educational resources here.
This annual allowance is included in a Member’s bi-weekly pay to help offset the costs associated with work within their constituencies. This allowance is meant to cover out-of-pocket expenses incurred, including travel costs that are not otherwise reimbursable. Members are not required to keep any receipts or document the use of this allowance, and as such, it is treated as a taxable benefit.
Each Member is allocated a Photography Allowance per Parliament to arrange for a professional official portrait. Photographs produced using the Photography Allowance may only be used for a parliamentary or constituency purpose, such as representing the Member on the Legislative Assembly website or on a Member’s official business cards.
A Member may use their Constituency Office Allowance for amounts exceeding their maximum Photography Allowance or for additional professional photography for the specific purpose of advertising or promoting constituency office services. Photographs for a partisan purpose must be paid for from a caucus or legislative office budget.
For assistance, please contact Client Care.
An overview of transitional assistance, and the retraining and relocation allowances available to Members not returning after a provincial general election is provided on the Transitional Assistance page.