MPs Get a Raise While Canadians Can’t Afford Food

Prime Ministerial power and provincial popularity were put under the microscope on the latest episode of Inside Politics, but the sharpest exchange wasn’t about slogans or campaigns — it was about money: how governments spend it, how politicians earn it, and why taxpayers keep footing the bill.

Host Kevin Klein was joined by Winnipeg Sun columnists Lawrence Pinsky, KC, and political science professor Royce Koop to unpack a new Fraser Institute report ranking premiers on fiscal performance. The study, authored by the institute’s director of fiscal studies Jake Fuss, measured provincial leaders on government spending, taxes and debt. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith ranked first, Ontario Premier Doug Ford placed second — and Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew came dead last with an overall score of just 10.9%, a number that stunned the panel.

Koop said Manitoba’s poor ranking was driven by rapid program spending increases and weak performance on debt and deficits, warning that governments can’t “spend and spend” forever without consequences. Pinsky agreed, arguing poor fiscal policy eventually leads to higher taxes, fewer services, or both — and Manitobans are already feeling the squeeze through inflation and strained public services.

Klein pushed the conversation deeper, arguing fiscal recklessness is fueled by a political culture that rewards short-term vote buying. Premiers, he said, think only in four-year election cycles, spending taxpayer dollars to look like heroes while ignoring long-term consequences. That led to a broader debate: what politicians are paid, and whether they deserve annual raises while Canadians struggle.

Klein noted that federal MPs are set to make more than $210,000 annually after April 1, with raises that continue even during economic hardship, while many Canadians face rising food costs and growing reliance on food banks. “How do you take that raise,” he asked, “and then tell people you need cuts?”

Pinsky argued public office comes with real personal costs and that competitive pay helps attract qualified candidates — but suggested raises could be redirected to charities in tough times. Koop raised the idea of tying political pay to performance metrics such as balanced budgets, a concept Klein embraced, arguing taxpayers should not reward failure.

The episode ended with Klein inviting viewers to weigh in: do politicians make too much — and should their pay be linked to results?