NUNAVUT - Quttiktuq MLA Ron Elliott spent more than any other legislative assembly member over the 2009-2010 financial year, according to the report on MLAs' salaries and expenses tabled in the legislative assembly last month.

Elliott, whose riding includes the High Arctic communities of Resolute, Grise Fiord and Arctic Bay, spent $46,466 of his $51,000 constituency budget. The only MLA allowed to spend more than Elliott, Akulliq MLA John Ningark, whose constituency budget is $57,800, spent just over $36,000.

Elliott said he is allotted $51,000 because of the geographical location of his constituency and that he used most of the money on airfare and hotels, office expenses and publicity.

"A big portion of mine goes to publicity and travel. I am spending the money following all the rules," he said. "For me, it sort of goes both ways. I do travel … and get to my communities as many times as I can so I can meet face to face with people but at the same time, there is the reality of how expensive it is."

Nunavut's government recently released the salaries, indemnities, allowances and expenses members of the legislative assembly of Nunavut received up to March 31, 2010.

MLAs receive a base salary of $76,909, with additional pay for committee members, cabinet ministers, speaker, premier, deputy premier, and the northern and housing allowances. Constituency budgets range from $20,000 to $57,800, depending on the riding.

The highest paid MLA was deputy premier Peter Taptuna of Kugluktuk, with salary and allowances totalling $175,211, followed by Uqqummiut MLA and former speaker James Arreak at $174,932, with Premier Eva Aariak, MLA for Iqaluit East, in third place at $174,706.

Cambridge Bay Mayor Syd Glawson said a base salary of $100,000 or a little higher would be more appropriate rather than $76,909. He added that every election, MLAs need to fight for their position.

"That's nothing for what he's (MLA) got to do," he said. "Compared with some of the bureaucratic salaries that people actually work for him receive and he takes all the criticism and everything else, then he has to do all the work, that's certainly not enough as far as I'm concerned."

As a comparison, Glawson said his mayoral base salary is about $30,000, an amount that goes up to $40,000 with meeting indemnities and the like.

"The ordinary person does not realize what stress they are under, what work they do and what the public really does to them," he said.

"In saying all that, I am saying there are some MLAs over there in the Nunavut government that don't deserve to be there. It's not a job with qualifications and talent, it's a popularity position."

Iqaluit Mayor Elisapee Sheutiapik said the salaries MLAs receive is barely enough.

"It's not an easy job. That might not be enough actually, because of the cost of living," she said.

Former MLA criticizes NTI pay

Salaries, benefits and other payments made to the directors and executive officers of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. were also released recently in the organization's 2010 annual report.

The president, the two vice-presidents, the chief executive officer and the chief operating officer were paid from $155,549 to $175,948. Housing was paid for the president and two vice-presidents.

Former MLA Manitok Thompson, speaking from Canmore, Alta., is critical of the amount of money they receive at NTI.

"I think they need to be more compatible (with) the government salaries," she said. "They're getting way too much money. I think if they can cut down on their salaries and put some of that money towards the community programs, that would make a lot more sense. A lot of us are feeling like the staff are the only ones that are beneficiaries, actually. The rest of us are just outsiders."

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