Alberta MLA compensation has undergone significant fluctuations over the past two decades, marked by dramatic increases, controversial freezes, and strategic pay cuts tied to broader fiscal policy decisions.
Key Salary Milestones
Starting Point (2005-06): Base compensation stood at $71,244, which included both a taxable indemnity and a tax-free allowance.[1][2]
Growth Period (2006-2008): MLAs received annual increases linked to Alberta's Average Weekly Earnings, with raises of 4.93% in 2006-07 and 4.53% in 2007-08, bringing base pay to $78,138. During this period, the Premier and cabinet ministers controversially awarded themselves 30-34% pay increases shortly after the 2008 election victory, sparking public backlash.[2][3][4][5][1]
Extended Freeze (2009-2012): Following the 2008 controversy, MLA salaries were frozen at $78,138 for four consecutive years as Alberta faced economic challenges.[3]
Major Restructuring (2012): Justice Major's compensation review led to a dramatic 71.5% increase, restructuring base compensation to $134,000 as a single indemnity. This change eliminated the previous system of tax-free allowances and committee payments that had drawn criticism.[6][7][8]
First Pay Cut (2015): Premier Jim Prentice implemented a 5% reduction in February 2015, dropping salaries to $127,296 as oil prices collapsed and Alberta faced a $7 billion budget shortfall. The move was explicitly positioned as "leadership by example" ahead of public sector wage negotiations.[9][10][11]
NDP Freeze (2015-2019): Under Premier Rachel Notley's NDP government, MLA compensation remained frozen at $127,296 with no changes to base pay.[12][13]
Second Pay Cut (2019): Premier Jason Kenney's UCP government implemented another 5% reduction in August 2019, bringing base salary to $120,936 (with Kenney taking a 10% cut). This marked the second 5% cut in five years, reducing MLA pay to $13,000 less than 2014 levels.[14][15][16]
Extended Freeze (2019-2024): MLAs experienced the longest consecutive pay freeze in recent history, with salaries remaining at $120,936 for over five years despite inflation.[17][18][19]
First Increase in Over a Decade (2025): In January 2025, the UCP-controlled Members' Services Committee voted to increase MLA salaries by approximately 2.4%, bringing base compensation to $123,838. This marked the first raise since 2013, with the increase retroactive to January 1, 2025 and tied to Alberta's average public service rate increase.[20][21][22][17][12]
This chart shows the changes in Alberta MLA base compensation over the past 20 years, highlighting major salary adjustments including the significant 2012 restructuring, pay cuts in 2015 and 2019, and the first increase since 2013 approved in January 2025.
Overall Impact
From 2005 to 2025, Alberta MLA base compensation increased from $71,244 to $123,838—a cumulative increase of 73.8% over 20 years[Data analysis]. However, this figure masks significant volatility. MLAs experienced 13 years of pay freezes, 4 years with increases, and 2 years with cuts during this period[Data analysis].
Notably, despite the 2025 increase, current MLA salaries remain $10,162 below the 2012-2015 peak of $134,000. When accounting for inflation, MLAs were actually earning less in early 2025 than they were in 2014.[20][13]
Political Context
MLA compensation decisions have consistently been politicized and timed to coincide with broader public sector wage negotiations. Both the 2015 and 2019 pay cuts preceded government attempts to freeze or reduce wages for teachers, nurses, and other public employees. Opposition parties voted against the 2025 increase, characterizing it as "tone deaf" during a cost-of-living crisis, though UCP members argued it was overdue after more than a decade without raises.[12][23][24][25][14][9]
The 2025 changes also introduced a new transition allowance providing departing MLAs up to six months of salary, along with increased constituency office budgets and at least $1 million in additional funding for the government caucus.[23][21][26]
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- https://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=232380AAA6400-D0BF-3164-7FF2D2C2649B1FFF
- https://www.assembly.ab.ca/members/related-resources/mla-remuneration/2007-2008-mla-remuneration
- https://globalnews.ca/news/81310/alberta-legislature-panel-freezes-mla-salaries-but-rejects-pay-review/
- https://www.assembly.ab.ca/members/related-resources/mla-remuneration/2008-2009-mla-remuneration
- https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-premier-ministers-to-take-pay-cut-1.796889
- https://pub-edmonton.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=38687
- https://www.lakelandtoday.ca/lac-la-biche-news/danyluks-hefty-golden-handshake-could-be-thing-of-the-past-1904114
- https://www.assembly.ab.ca/docs/default-source/about-documents/legislative-assembly-office/other-reports/mla-compensation-review-alberta-may-2012.pdf?sfvrsn=3289abed_2
- https://albertaworker.ca/news/why-ucp-mlas-gave-themselves-a-5-pay-cut-last-year/
- https://edmontonsun.com/2015/02/04/mla-pay-cuts-discussed-at-alberta-legislature-by-all-party-members-services
- https://globalnews.ca/news/1812252/alberta-mlas-cut-salaries-by-five-per-cent-ndp-calls-it-cynical-politics/
- https://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/alberta-ucp-mla-pay-raise
- https://albertaworker.ca/news/alberta-mlas-highest-paid-in-canada/
- https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-mla-cabinet-and-premier-salaries-dropping-1.5238004
- https://reddeeradvocate.com/2019/08/06/alberta-cuts-pay-for-premier-and-mlas/
- https://lethbridgenewsnow.com/2019/08/06/alberta-cuts-mla-pay-by-five-per-cent-and-10-per-cent-for-premier-jason-kenney/
- https://globalnews.ca/news/10951252/ucp-alberta-mla-pay/
- https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/taxpayers-applaud-pay-freeze-for-alberta-mlas
- https://calgary.citynews.ca/2024/04/03/danielle-smith-salary-alberta-mlas-politicians-pay/
- https://albertaviews.ca/salary-politics/
- https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-united-conservatives-vote-to-boost-mla-pay-taxpayer-funding-for-their-caucus-1.7427365
- https://www.assembly.ab.ca/members/related-resources/mla-compensation-adjustments
- https://lethbridgeherald.com/news/lethbridge-news/2025/01/10/alberta-mlas-getting-a-raise/
- https://edmontonsun.com/2013/11/29/alberta-government-freezes-mla-pay-as-aupe-continues-to-rally-against-a-legislatively-imposed-wage-freeze
- https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/mla-wage-freeze-called-a-sham-in-light-of-new-labour-bills-1.2445774
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I-KF4AZmvI
- https://lethbridgenewsnow.com/2025/01/09/pay-raise-for-alberta-mlas/
- https://www.taxpayer.com/news-room-archive/Forget MLA pay hike - Six reasons why MLAs don't need another raise
- https://calgary.citynews.ca/2025/01/09/alberta-ucp-votes-increase-mla-salaries/
- https://www.stalbertgazette.com/local-news/st-albert-ndp-mla-renaud-criticizes-pay-raise-vote-10070790
- https://thegatewayonline.ca/?p=136975
- https://open.alberta.ca/publications/selected-payments-to-mlas
- https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID2022555_code1376770.pdf?abstractid=2022555
- https://globalnews.ca/video/10951660/ucp-vote-to-increase-pay-for-alberta-mlas
- https://www.assembly.ab.ca/members/related-resources/mla-remuneration/2025-2026-mla-remuneration
- https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/7594c8b6-1f12-4757-99a6-9d5cb8a1c1c3/resource/14331c5e-6ca5-4b3e-a030-1ffbf4e4785b/download/selected-payments-to-mlas-2011-12.pdf
- https://www.gov.nl.ca/publicat/greenreport/appendices/09-app-chapter10.pdf
- https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2013/02/07/albertas-redford-moves-to-freeze-mla-pay-ahead-of-belt-tightening-budget/
- https://www.legnb.ca/content/legislature/publications/other_reference/Rapport Ryan Report - Vol 1.pdf
- https://www.assembly.ab.ca/docs/default-source/about-documents/legislative-assembly-office/other-reports/mla-pay-comparisons---2011-12-vs-2012-13.pdf?sfvrsn=d1aa5e8d_2
- https://edmontonsun.com/2014/07/28/alberta-pcs-government-quietly-approved-a-pay-hike-for-senior-government-officials-wildrose
- https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/e7a236ed-860c-44fc-9a59-37b39e4701a4/resource/1982173b-9a4f-4720-be28-e8017ddf678c/download/complete-govestimates-2006-07.pdf
- https://calgaryherald.com/news/wildrose-party-pledges-to-roll-back-mla-pay-raise-if-it-wins-2016-election
- https://www.taxpayer.com/news-room-archive/Alberta MLA pay rises to $79,201
- https://pub-edmonton.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=38689
- https://albertaworker.ca/news/alberta-paid-out-37-million-to-current-and-former-mlas-last-year/
- https://albertaworker.ca/news/alberta-paid-out-nearly-20m-to-current-and-former-mlas-last-year/
- https://www.assembly.ab.ca/members/related-resources/mla-remuneration/2019-2020-mla-remuneration
- https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/Taxpayers Federation applauds Alberta government for cutting MLA and premier pay
- https://www.reddit.com/r/alberta/comments/zonx7o/never_forget_alberta_mlas_who_are_ministers_get/
- https://www.oag.ab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/oag-results-report-mar-31-2020.pdf
- https://chatnewstoday.ca/2019/08/06/alberta-cuts-mla-pay-by-five-per-cent-and-10-per-cent-for-premier-jason-kenney/
- https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/7594c8b6-1f12-4757-99a6-9d5cb8a1c1c3/resource/9028809f-4f0e-4110-8839-7263fdb1c302/download/selected-payments-to-mlas-2016-17.pdf
- https://www.assembly.ab.ca/about/legislative-assembly-office/compensation-disclosure
- https://www.alberta.ca/salary-disclosure
- https://www.assembly.ab.ca/members/related-resources/mla-remuneration/2024-2025-mla-remuneration
- https://legacy.teachers.ab.ca/News Room/ata news/Volume 43/Number13/IntheNews/Pages/Teachers'salaryincreaseofr200910toapproach48percent.aspx
- https://www.taxpayer.com/media/Reversing-the-Kowalski-Legacy.pdf
- https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/committees/ms/legislature_26/session_1/20051214_1200_01_ms.pdf
- https://www.assembly.ab.ca/members/related-resources/mla-remuneration/2014-2015-mla-remuneration
- https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/f16f578a-b257-44d2-bdf6-649302beed7c/resource/6db43e22-5340-47dd-9c9b-f8638f09d7a1/download/2004-05-Legislative-Assembly-Estimates.pdf
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