North Shore MLAs were collectively paid $342,000 and logged almost $84,000 in expenses for nine months on the job last year, ending in December.
North Vancouver-Lonsdale MLA Naomi Yamamoto earned the most between April 1 and Dec. 31, with a nine-month salary of more than $98,000, including more than $21,000 for cabinet duties as minister responsible for tourism and small business.
North Vancouver-Seymour MLA Jane Thornthwaite and West Vancouver-Capilano MLA Ralph Sultan were paid salaries of $86,000 and $84,500 over the same time period, which included approximately $8,000 for extra duties. Sultan had a brief stint in cabinet, which ended in September, while Thornthwaite is parliamentary secretary of student support and parent engagement.
Jordan Sturdy, the newly elected MLA for West Vancouver Sea-to-Sky, earned just over $73,000 from May until December, including approximately $8,500 for duties as parliamentary secretary to Transportation Minister Todd Stone. Sturdy also continued to collect his $25,000 annual salary as mayor of Pemberton during that time, a move criticized by Dermod Travis of Integrity B.C. "To take two salaries from the public purse is inappropriate," he said.
Sturdy announced his resignation as mayor at the beginning of 2014. That took effect last week, on Feb. 5. Sturdy also logged the highest expenses of the four MLAs - almost $26,000 - between May and December, including over $14,000 in general travel costs and almost $4,000 on in-constituency travel. Sturdy's expenses also included about $2,200 in "per diem" costs for meals and about $3,400 in a capital city living allowance.
Most MLAs - including those from the North Shore - receive an allowance to cover the costs of accommodation in Victoria, whether that's renting an apartment, staying in hotels or paying money towards a mortgage.
Sultan, who owns property in Victoria, clocked just over $23,000 in expenses between April and December including $9,000 for a Victoria living allowance and about $9,300 on travel.
Yamamoto spent just under $19,000 in expenses, including $5,200 in Victoria accommodation and about $10,500 in travel.
Thornthwaite's expenses were just under $16,000, including $2,100 for a living allowance and $12,000 on travel.
All provincial MLAs combined spent roughly $2.3 million on expenses between April and December.
Both Travis and Jordan Bateman, director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, called for more transparency on MLAs' expenses.
Bateman said the details released publicly by the clerk's office, for instance, don't provide any information about how many trips are included in the travel costs. Many expenses - including the $61 "per diem" for meals - also don't require receipts.
Travis said he questions some MLAs getting $1,000 per month towards Victoria living expenses plus $61 per day for meals when the legislature rarely sits more than 50 days a year.
"We don't expect them to couch surf or stay at the YMCA or stay in dormitories together - but there has to be a happy medium," he said.
