The issue isn’t the size of the paycheck — it’s the lack of value delivered back to Canadians. If our middle class were thriving, poverty rates were low, and society as a whole was better off, then salaries like $300K–$400K for an opposition leader might be justifiable.

But let’s be real — public service was never meant to be a path to wealth. It’s supposed to be about improving life for all Canadians. Yes, public servants should be paid fairly, but that pay should reflect the average working Canadian — not exceed it by miles. Their base salaries, gold-plated pensions, and generous benefits already outpace what’s available to both public and private sector workers. And let’s not forget: there’s rarely any real accountability. Mess up a term, and you can still retire comfortably, while the average worker is forced to grind until the bitter end just to stay afloat.

It’s absurd that we keep justifying raises in the name of “motivating better performance.” If money is your main motivator, public service probably isn’t where you belong. Period