A budgeted six percent increase in the amount of money paid to the Island's politicians was yesterday criticised by the Opposition United Bermuda Party (UBP) for being far in excess of the rate of inflation.

But UBP MP John Barritt, who as shadow Legislative Affairs Minister led his party's scrutiny of budgetary plans for the Legislative Affairs Ministry, then called for MPs salaries to be increased even further.

Noting that $146,000 (six percent) more money was set aside for MPs, Mr. Barritt said the raise looked a little high. “We should be tied to the same cost of living increase as the BPSA, or the rate of inflation,” he told his House colleagues.

He then went on to say that since the estimates was based on a 40 member parliament, that meant there would be an extra $4,000 per member when the size of the Assembly is reduced as expected this year to 36 members.

A joint select committee should have an independent actuarial study done and review members' salaries, he said.

The study will inform the public of what MPs do and provide a basis for comparing their salaries with the private sector, Mr. Barritt explained. “We are underpaid for the job that we are expected to do,” he said. He also called for a review of the way the House does business, repeating a long held position that there should be more joint select committees.

The public should be given access to joint select committee meetings and the members of those committees should be paid more than the current $7.50 for attending meetings, he argued.

“We'll see more work being done and I think $7.50 will appear to be inadequate for the job we are asked to do.”