Independent MHAs Eddie Joyce and Dale Kirby are still getting paid their MHA salary while on an indefinite leave from the House of Assembly.
While both have been expelled from the Liberal cabinet and caucus, both are still being paid their base salary as elected members, which is $95,357 per year.
Speaker Perry Trimper confirmed the payments at Wednesday evening’s House Management Commission (HMC) meeting.
Trimper said both members had requested a leave from the House while multiple allegations of harassment are investigated by Commissioner of Legislative Standards Bruce Chaulk.
The House Management Commission met to discuss what’s next for members of the House of Assembly and how extensive an overhaul of harassment policies and legislation needs to take place.
After Tory MHA Tracey Perry’s private member’s motion on May 2, the Privileges and Elections Committee was tasked with studying how best to bring an MHA-specific harassment policy to the House of Assembly. There is no due date for that committee’s work.
A harassment policy for the public service is due to come into effect on June 1. Part of the question was whether to bring MHAs and House of Assembly staff into that policy in the meantime, while the Privileges and Elections Committee looks for the best option for a legislature-specific harassment policy.
The public service harassment policy outlines a number of steps government employees can take to file complaints, from informal meetings between the complainant and respondent to a formal investigation, where a third party will be hired to investigate the complaints.
Also at the meeting, Chaulk said he has so far received two formal complaints, but more could be coming. Chaulk says he has more meetings scheduled with MHAs in the near future, and he expects the number of formal complaints to increase once the meetings are finished.
The House Management Commission deferred a decision on whether to bring MHAs into the policy taking effect June 1, preferring to take time to discuss options with caucus members.
Trimper says the next meeting of the House Management Commission will take place as soon as possible.
Perry said Wednesday’s meeting didn’t help her decide whether or not to file a complaint with Chaulk.
“I’m going to need more time to reflect,” Perry said.
“From my point of view, it’s about ensuring we have the best process in place that is standard with harassment in the workplace.”
Perry has raised concerns about Premier Dwight Ball having a hand in referring complaints to the commissioner, though Ball is adamant he has not politicized the complaints process with his involvement.
Perry says she is unsure whether the public service harassment policy will be enough to protect future complainants.
Status of Women Minister Siobhan Coady originally had some concerns about the timeline for the work of the committee looking for MHA-specific legislation, but she says she is confident an answer will come in a timely manner.
“They’re seized with this, at this point in time. As colleagues in the House of Assembly, we can all say how important this is, that they all move forward quickly,” Coady said.
“We have no timeline set out, so that’s the question: whether or not we need an interim process.”
Twitter: DavidMaherNL
