How controversial Okanagan MLA Tara Armstrong got herself a raise

Controversial Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream MLA Tara Armstrong got herself a big pay raise by helping to form the new political party One BC.

Vancouver-Quilchena MLA Dallas Brodie is the new party’s leader and Armstrong is the house leader. Those new roles come with pay bumps.

The base salary for MLAs in B.C. is $119,532.72, and Armstrong and Brodie are getting raises for taking on new titles in the party they formed together.

The Members’ Remuneration and Pensions Act says that the house leader of a party, other than the sitting government and official opposition, gets a raise of 10 per cent, which means Armstrong is getting an additional $11,953 a year. 

As party leader Brodie is getting a salary increase of $29,883, or 25 per cent.

Both Armstrong and Brodie were elected as BC Conservatives last fall. Brodie was ousted from the party for mocking residential school survivors and Armstrong left in solidarity. 

After sitting as independents for a few months, the pair announced their formation of One BC last week. The One BC Party is registered as of June 12. Brodie and Armstrong are the only members listed on the party’s website.

Armstrong didn’t reply a request from iNFOnews.ca for comment and One BC’s spokesperson Tim Thielmann declined to confirm or deny the members’ pay raises.

The Legislative Assembly’s Clerk office confirmed the pay raises and said that there are a few other benefits to forming an official party rather than sitting as independents.

“Longer speaking times for certain items of business that come before the Legislative Assembly to participate more actively in oral question periods, and also to deliver statements by members,” deputy clerk Artour Sogomomian told iNFOnews.ca.

In 2017, election fundraising in B.C. changed when the NDP government banned corporate and union donations. Now, politicians have to raise money from individual taxpayers with a $1,484 limit per donor.

There are a few benefits to forming a party when it comes to election financing compared to campaigning as an independent or unregistered party. 

During an election registered political parties can issue income tax receipts for political donations, incur election expenses and give money to constituency associations, candidates, leadership contestants and nomination contestants.

A political party in B.C. only needs to submit an application with its financial information, provide proof that it exists to get candidates elected and have at least two members.

Brodie and Armstrong have been campaigning against Indigenous sovereignty. Armstrong has received significant backlash from the Penticton Indian Band as well as the Central Okanagan school district for arguing against First Nations’ rights.

“She has set herself apart in the Legislature as one of the sharpest critics of the government, including on the NDP’s radical gender ideology and Premier David Eby’s ties to communist China,” Armstrong’s bio on the new party’s website read.