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A newly elected Member of Parliament from New Brunswick is drawing attention after declining a parliamentary pay raise, arguing that politicians should not be earning more while many Canadians struggle with rising living costs.

Mike Dawson, the Conservative MP for Miramichi–Grand Lake, has formally requested that he not receive the pay increase typically applied to MPs. Backbench members of Parliament already earn more than $200,000 annually, in addition to allowances covering travel, housing and other expenses.

People are having a tough time just getting by, just putting food in their kids' bellies and being crushed by taxes at the same time. To add salt to the wound, the people who stand up in the House of Commons and make speeches on your behalf about food inflation are taking a pay raise. 

Dawson, a former construction worker who has described himself as “a drywaller from New Brunswick,” said accepting a pay hike would be inappropriate as residents in his riding face mounting financial pressure.

His decision comes as Canadians continue to grapple with high grocery prices and persistent food inflation, which has made basic necessities harder to afford for many households.

It's clear that Dawson’s stance has resonated with the public. According to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, a poll it conducted found roughly 80 per cent of respondents opposed pay increases for MPs under current economic conditions.

More than 10,000 people have also reportedly emailed Dawson to thank him for refusing the raise.

The debate raises a broader question about whether parliamentary pay should rise during a period when many Canadians say they are struggling to afford basic necessities.