Taylor Bachrach will be donating his $3,750 pay raise this year to community organizations that support vulnerable people in the riding. The Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP isn鈥檛 divulging which organizations will recieve the money, except to say they are scattered throughout the Northwest.

鈥淢ost of us donate to organizations in our communities throughout the year,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd we鈥檙e at a point right now when so many Canadians are losing their jobs and hurting financially. If those of us who can increase our donations do so, it will make a difference.鈥�

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Parliamentary cost-of-living salary hikes go into effect automatically each year on April 1. In light of the economic crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, several Canadian MPs are donating that raise to charities and organizations in their home communities.

This year鈥檚 bump of 2.1 per cent brings the annual base salary of each MP to $182,656.

Senators will receive a 2.4 per cent hike to $157,656.

In a bid to de-politicize the raises for MPs and Senators, legislation was passed in 2005 to automatically increase salaries on April 1, rather than putting it to members for a vote. The amount is based on the average increase negotiated by major bargaining units in the private sector.

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On April 1 Bob Zimmer, Conservative MP for the only other northern B.C. riding, Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies, announced he would be donating his pay raise to a local church that鈥檚 been helping the community during the pandemic.

鈥淲hile individual Members of Parliament cannot stop the pay raise from going forward, we can decide what to do with the money we receive,鈥� Zimmer said.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh have all promised to donate their raises this year to charity.