Federal MPs should be pleased with the announcement from Government House Leader Don Boudria that a commission has been appointed to study the salaries and perks of members of parliament and senators. After the last commission report on parliamentary compensation in 1998, MPs unanimously agreed to an increase on both salary and allowances of two percent each year for four years.

The review is a little known requirement under the Parliament of Canada Act, which says that a commission must be appointed within two months of an election to review the compensation of parliamentarians.

Members of this new commission are Ed Lumley, a former Liberal cabinet minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce, Jake Epp, a former Conservative cabinet minister in the Mulroney years, and Hugette Labelle, a retired public servant who was Chairman of the Public Service Commission.

The commission has six months to make a report, and there is nothing binding about its recommendations.

So what does a Canadian MP make now?

The base salary for all MPs is $69,564. As well, each MP has a non-taxable expense allowance of at least $22,950 (it may be higher, depending on the MP's riding). MPs also get a housing allowance of $12,000 for accommodation in Ottawa .

On top of their base salaries, some members of parliament receive extra pay:

Prime Minister	$75,582
Cabinet Minister	$50,286
Secretary of State	$37,715
Leader of the Opposition	$53,040
Other Party Leaders	$31,820
Parliamentary Secretary	$11,322
Speaker of the House	$53,040

Other members of parliament, such as chairs of committees and party whips also receive extra compensation on top of their base salaries.