Quebec solidaire donates $434,000 from MNA salary increases to charitable causes

Quebec Solidaire co-leader Ruba Ghazal, centre, and co-leder Sol Zanetti, right, stand with their caucus during a news conference marking the end of the fall session at the legislature in Quebec City, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press)

Quebec solidaire (QS) says it has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars from its members’ salary increases to charitable causes.

In May 2023, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) tabled a bill to give all MNAs in the National Assembly a 30 per cent salary increase.

With support from the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ), the bill was adopted the following month, despite opposition from the QS and the Parti Québécois (PQ).

On Monday, QS said all 11 of its MNAs donated a total of $434,507 from their salary top-ups.

“When the CAQ MNAs voted themselves a pay raise, it simply didn’t go down well with the public. We decided to be consistent with our values ​​and give a portion of our salaries where it really matters: on the ground,” the party said in a news release.

“We gave back nearly half a million dollars to organizations that help people who truly need it. Organizations that fight food insecurity and poverty, groups that advocate for Quebec independence and environmental initiatives.”

“What community organization has seen its subsidies increase by 30 per cent? What worker has seen their salary increase by $30,000 all at once? The answer is none. That’s where the CAQ’s hypocrisy lies,” the party continued.

The end-of-year donation comes months after all MNAs received another pay increase of nearly $10,000 earlier this year.

A Quebec MNA now earns a base salary of $141,625, which is a 7.5 per cent jump from $131,766 last year.

In 2023, when the bill was introduced, the base salary was $101,561.

Details about the salary increases this year were quietly updated on the National Assembly website over the summer.

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QS Spokesperson Ruba Ghazal, who called the pay increase “shameful,” donated $12,000 from her 2025 salary to initiatives aimed at fighting food insecurity in CEGEPs and universities, including Université Laval, Université du Québec à Montréal, Cégep Limoilou and Cégep du Vieux-Montréal.

“I am proud that we denounced it, and I am even prouder that we were able to make a difference by remaining true to our convictions,” said Ghazal in a statement.

Alejandra Zaga Mendez, the MNA for Verdun, also gave $15,000 to Réseau d’Entraide de Verdun.

Since the 2025 increase, Premier François Legault’s salary rose from $270,120 to $290,331, a difference of $20,211.

With files from The Canadian Press.