Moultrie says he hesitated to address the matter before because he was concerned about backlash
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Former Speaker of the House of Assembly Halson Moultrie has recommended Parliament review an “unconstitutional provision” that denies the speaker and deputy speaker of the House from receiving a member of Parliament’s salary.
According to the Parliamentarians (Salaries and Allowances) Act, Chapter 10(2), a person holding the office of speaker, deputy speaker, president of the Senate or vice president of the Senate should “not be paid any salary or allowance other than the respective salary or allowance specified in the schedule in respect of that office”.
“There is an unconstitutional provision in the parliamentary pensions and salaries act that deprives the speaker of their constitutional member of Parliament salary,” Moultrie said.
“That law that was passed by the Parliament some years ago that created that circumstance should be corrected by Parliament and I’m hoping that this Parliament would see the wisdom in doing that.”
The first thing that would happen would be that everybody would say: ‘Your focus is just money and you call for increases now.’
– Former House Speaker Halson Moultrie
According to Moultrie, had the Cabinet not taken control of the budget of the legislative branch under former Prime Minister the late Sir Lynden Pindling, the matter would not have become an issue.
The house speaker has an $80,000 per year salary, while the deputy speaker receives $32,000.
An MP’s salary is $28,000 per annum.
The prime minister’s salary is $86,000, with a $25,000 duty allowance, while the deputy prime minister receives $76,000 and a $15,000 duty allowance.
A minister with a portfolio receives $66,000, while a minister of state receives $60,000.
Both roles have a duty allowance of $5,000.
Parliamentary secretaries receive a salary of $45,000 and a $3,000 allowance.
Moultrie said: “You know, for four and a half years, as the MP for Nassau Village, I was not paid one dollar as the member of Parliament for Nassau Village — only the speaker’s salary.
“The current speaker is not receiving her member of Parliament salary.
“The 53rd speaker, Dr Kendal Major, he did not receive it, and Alvin Smith, who is his predecessor, did not.
“I think it was an effort similar to what is happening in terms of naming so many executive members.
“The speaker’s salary was rather low, and so, they wanted to bring the speaker up to make the speaker co-equal with the prime minister and the chief justice.
“…They brought the speaker’s salary up to the level of the chief justice and the minister of government, but they still felt that the speaker shouldn’t be equated because there was a lack of understanding of the separation of powers and the co-equal position of the heads of the three branches of government.
“A decision was taken to deny the speaker and the deputy speaker of their parliamentary salaries.”
Moultrie said he had intended to test the constitutionality of the speaker and deputy speaker being deprived of an MP’s salary through the courts, but preferred for Parliament to rectify the matter.
He pointed out that Parliament passed a resolution to establish a standing committee to determine what changes are needed, including whether a new Parliament should be constructed and what support parliamentarians should receive to carry out their work.
The former speaker said he did not raise the matter from the chair due to concerns of backlash.
“The first thing that would happen would be that everybody would say: ‘Your focus is just money and you call for increases now,’” Moultrie said.
“Now that I am no longer the speaker and no longer the member of Parliament, I believe people will begin to examine it more thoroughly and more objectively.”
