SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Sandy Lee, the Conservative candidate for the Western Arctic, is now collecting a $94,000 one-year transition allowance.

The former minister of Health and Social Services, who stepped down on March 26 to run in the federal election, gets this money as part of recently passed legislation to help outgoing ministers transition into new careers.

"It begins the moment she leaves office," said Tim Mercer, clerk of the legislative assembly, and it doesn't matter whether the MLA resigns or loses an election.

Until March 10, cabinet ministers and regular MLAs were both entitled to a one month transition allowance for every year served, but amendments made to the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act have changed the transition allowance for cabinet ministers. They are now entitled to 12 months of regular MLA pay no matter how long they have served. Regular MLAs who've never served in cabinet and resign from or lose their seats still receive transitional pay based on the old rules.

Lee has served 11.66 years in the legislative assembly since her first election victory in 1999.

If Lee is elected in the May 2 federal election as the Western Arctic MP, she will continue to be paid her transition allowance - the wage of an MLA - on top of an MP salary of $157,000, said Mercer.

The purpose of the transition allowance is to assist ministers and MLAs after they leave office while they are restricted from obtaining work from the GNWT.

Mercer said the amendments made to the act include new restrictions.

"There are much-expanded limitations on the work that former cabinet members can do after they leave office and it includes any jobs or contracts with government and it also includes any jobs or contracts with companies or entities that have significant contracts with government," he said. "So it's fairly sweeping."

Liberal candidate Joe Handley received eight months of transition allowance when his term as premier ended in 2007, having been a member of the legislative assembly since 1999. In 2007, the restrictions on ministers weren't as broad.

Handley, who signed off on the Deh Cho Bridge days before the 2007 election, later went on to work as a consultant for ATCON, the primary contractor on the project until it was removed in January 2010.

He said the new amendments to the act are really restrictive.

"That's pretty limiting on people because government is so much of the business here."

Despite the limitations, he said the changes are fair if members of the legislative assembly are aware of the rules.

"As long as it was understood, I don't see where it would be unfair," he said.

Having served as MLAs, Handley and Lee also receive two pensions - a registered pension plan and a supplementary pension plan - that they can draw on when they turn 60. Taking money from them before the age of 60 results in a financial penalty, said Mercer.

Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley had been pushing to amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act since last year, when he raised concerns about the sole-sourcing of contracts to John Todd, a former finance minister, and Brendan Bell, a former minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

When the amendments were made, Bromley said although he agreed with some of them, like extending restrictions to government boards and agencies, he didn't agree with extending transition allowance to 12 months for all ministers.

"The transition allowance is related to your years served," he said in March. "These are taxpayers' dollars, and essentially, in my mind, it (the amendment) robs Peter to pay Paul."

The transition allowance also occurs in Parliament.

If NDP candidate Dennis Bevington isn't re-elected, he will get a six-month stipend.

"I think it's because most people who become MPs give up their other careers and then they, you know, their career ends very abruptly," he said.

"So it's more of a time to get back into the workforce."

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