(YELLOWKNIFE) Wednesday, February 4, 2026 – Today, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, the Hon. Shane Thompson, tabled the 2025 Review of Members of Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly Compensation Benefits Report, as presented by the Independent Commission to Review Members’ Compensation and Benefits.
Appointed by the Legislative Assembly, the Independent Commission reviews and makes recommendations on the salaries, benefits, allowances, and expenses elected Members receive. The Commission was established in March 2025 and was required to provide the Speaker a written report within 10 months time of its establishment. The Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act requires that a Commission be established every four years.
The Assembly will consider and vote on the report’s recommendations in the House later this year. Any recommendations that are accepted will only apply after the next Territorial General Election.
Chair of the Commission, Ms. Janet Toner, is available for any media questions: @email
Summary of Recommendations:
Constituency Assistants (CA) – Terms of Employment
- It is recommended that MLAs seek out support if they hire a Constituency Assistant to assist with answering any questions about the hiring process and responsibilities of being an employee or provide clarification regarding this relationship.
- It is recommended that while each MLA continues to negotiate the salary level for their Constituency Assistant, the minimum hourly rate should not be less than $30.00 per hour.
- It is recommended that the contract used to hire constituency assistants be updated to include the proper names for the current statutory holidays in the Northwest Territories.
Speaker Remuneration
- It is recommended that no adjustments be made to the Speaker’s compensation or the Speaker’s indemnity.
Constituency Offices – Lease Agreements
- a) It is recommended that a maximum dollar limit for lease agreements for constituency office spaces be established.
- It is recommended that the maximum dollar limit for lease agreements for constituency office spaces is increased each year by either the Canadian Consumer Price Index or an amount established by the Board of Management.
- It is recommended that if a member exceeds the maximum dollar limit, that the Board would have the discretion to approve the use of the Member(s)’s constituency budget to offset any additional costs.
b) it is recommended that this amount should not exceed $50,000 for a twelve-month period.
Constituency Offices – Security
- It is recommended that all Constituency Assistants receive health and safety training particularly on working alone.
- During the CAs orientation, there should be training on working alone, such as inviting someone from the Workers’ Safety & Compensation Commission (WSCC) to come and speak about health and safety issues around working alone.
- At a minimum, all CAs should become familiar with the WSCC Working Alone Code of Practice (September 2016) as part of their orientation.
- It is recommended that all Constituency Offices have standing operating procedures with a checklist for working alone.
- The WSCC Working Alone Code of Practice has sample procedures and checklist in Appendix A. of that document. (Found at:
- It is recommended that a budget of $1,500 is created for specific health and safety items related to the office security.
Member Benefit Entitlements Upon Leaving Office
- It is recommended that a one-day training event be offered, prior to the end of session, for all Members. This could include information from a financial planner and a pension advisor.
- Each Member could also be offered the opportunity to meet individually with the financial planner and/or the pension advisor, to have the opportunity to discuss their specific needs.
- It is recommended that a Members’ reference guide be created that covers key areas such as:
- How to make an official announcement of resignation
- The process for leaving the role of an MLA
- Post-employment rules for former MLAs, including information about the “cooling-off” period
- Benefits for departing Members e.g., retirement information, vacation pay, transition allowance, training support
- Information about health and dental coverage
Capital Accommodation Allowance
- It is recommended that the basic allowance for maintaining a second home in Yellowknife, if required, should be increased from $32,000.00 per year to $35,000.00 per year.
- It is recommended that the additional amount for the dependent remains at $6,000.00 per year for each dependent residing in the second residence of the Member. However, the maximum total amount will change from $49,000.00 to a maximum total amount of $53,000.00 per each fiscal year.
- It is recommended that the basic allowance for maintaining a second home in Yellowknife should be reviewed annually by the Board of Management, to ensure the allowance remains in line with the current rental market rates.
Transitional Allowance
- It is recommended that the definition of “transition” found in Section 83 of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act includes clarification of when a Member ceases to hold office.
- It is recommended that the Speaker, Minister and all other Members cease to hold office when the Writ of Election is issued by the Commissioner and parliament is dissolved.
- It is recommended that a Member, who has served only a four-year term, shall be paid a minimum transition allowance of six months.
MLA Base Salary
- It is recommended that the base salary change to $120,000.00 per year.
- It is recommended that a plain language document outlining how MLAs are paid should be added to the website so the public can have a clear understanding of the compensation received by MLAs.
- It is recommended that increases for the base salary are determined based on the lower of the average percentage increase or decrease in the Consumer Price Index for Canada in the previous five calendar years or the Consumer Price Index for Canada on December 31st.
Retraining Assistance Program for Non-Returning Members
- It is recommended that the Retraining Assistance Program for Non-Returning members increase from $1,000 in program funding for each year of service to $1,500 in program funding for each year of service, up to a maximum of $18,000.00.
Children of a Member
- It is recommended that comprehensive information be made available to all Members, detailing the process for preparing a claim for extraordinary expenses related to the care of a Member's child. This document aims to ensure that Members have a clear and thorough understanding of when it is appropriate to claim childcare expenses and the steps required to apply for reimbursement. By providing explicit guidance, the process will be more transparent and accessible, reducing uncertainty and helping Members confidently access the support to which they are entitled.
- The information found in Section 12 of the Indemnities, Allowances and Expense Regulations needs to be written in plain language with sample forms and templates included as needed.
https://www.ntlegislativeassembly.ca/file/torindependent-commission-review-members-pay-benefitspdf
Link to Report: https://www.ntlegislativeassembly.ca/tabled-documents/icrmcb-2025-review-members-northwest-territories-legislative-assembly-compensation
For further information, please contact:
Public Affairs and Communications
Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly