Less than a week after Premier Jim Prentice announced his cabinet and himself had decided to take a 5 percent pay reduction, MLAs voted to do the same.

In a unanimous vote, Alberta MLAs decided to get on board with the five percent pay cut.

The news came after Prentice announced the pay cut had been accepted by cabinet a few days before.

“We are the people that Albertans look to for leadership, this is how I’m going to govern myself as the premier, I expect ministers to govern themselves,” Prentice said Thursday, January 29.

Meanwhile, the provincial government is looking at a $6 billion funding gap in the upcoming budget, due to low energy prices.

“It’s going to be a tough budget and we want to contribute to that tough budget,” PC MLA George Vanderburg said.

However, some believe the wage cuts for MLAs could translate into cuts to the public sector.

“They want to set an example for people in the public service, I’m pretty tired of the tax cuts government gives to wealthy Albertans and corporations,” NDP MLA Brian Mason said.

Before the vote Wednesday, Wildrose MLAs proposed a 30 percent pay cut for cabinet ministers, and an 8 percent cut for MLAs – a proposal that was knocked down.

When the pay cut was announced initially, officials said the province would save $600,000 if all MLAs accepted the cut – Prentice is expected to see a reduction of $10,888 per year, ministers will see a reduction of $10,050, and MLAs should see a reduction of about $6,700 per year.

Pushing for Keystone in the United States

As MLAs decided to accept the pay cut in Alberta, Prentice was in Washington, D.C., pushing for the Keystone XL Pipeline.

He was shaking hands with energy executives and politicians Wednesday, and addressed the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“I have been a vocal advocate for the Keystone pipeline and for its approval by the U.S. government,” Prentice said in his speech. “In my view, the project is in the national interest of our two countries.”

The premier will travel to New Jersey Thursday, then on to New York later in the week.

With files from Serena Mah