I actually disagree with giving the money to charity, but there are actually a lot of problems with just "paying it back". Before I even say this, I do think its the right thing to do.
You can't just cut a cheque though. When Kent Hehr ran for mayor he wanted to not be paid as an MLA. We looked at every angle and you couldn't just not take a cheque. You could resign entirely, or be paid. He donated his salary to charity (and ended up not officially running).
The other issue is about taxes and how that is reconciled. Then you have interest to figure out. Then you have some MLAs who sat on more committees and are still paid for a maximum of three...are they exempt from paying money back? How do you determine who was paid for that committee and who wasn't in those cases? It really is a mess.
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