No public consultation was carried out before a bill that could pave the way for MLAs to receive a £19,000 pay rise was laid before the assembly.
The controversial bill is one of just nine items of legislation that have been brought to the assembly floor in the past year.
But whereas the vast majority of proposed legislation undergoes a period of public consultation before being tabled, none was carried out for the Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill.
Parties in the assembly were previously consulted on the bill in 2019 – when the institutions were dormant.
The bill, which could see those who formerly sat in the assembly join the newly-established board that sets MLAs’ salary and pension levels, has caused a storm of outrage, coinciding with criticism of the Stormont executive’s poor record of delivery in its first 12 months since restoration.
Pat McCartan, who was part of the panel that previously determined MLAs’ salaries and expenses, told The Irish News that many financial oversight arrangements proposed in the bill “run totally contrary to all the standards of public life”.
He said the assembly risks “putting the fox in the chicken run” by allowing former members to join the new remuneration board.
The bill tabled by the Assembly Commission is supported by Stormont’s five main parties and has so far been opposed only by People Before Profit’s Gerry Carroll and TUV’s Timothy Gaston.
Mr Gaston said the manner in which the bill had been brought forward was “underhand”.
He said he was “totally in the dark” over its contents until the bill was published on the assembly’s website earlier this week.
“Normally bills, whether they come from government departments or MLAs, must go through a process of public consultation in line with guidance from the UK government, which is clear that consultation should take place at a stage when there is scope to influence the policy outcome and should normally last for at least 12 weeks,” the North Antrim MLA said.
“This underhanded way of dealing with the matter speaks volumes as to what they knew the reaction of the public would be to their plans to give themselves a generous pay rise.”
Mr Carroll said the public deserved a “say in whether these proposals are fair”.
“The Assembly Commission has decided not to proceed with a public consultation because they know these proposals are deeply unpopular, especially with public sector workers fighting tooth and nail for fair pay,” the West Belfast representative said.
A statement from the assembly said Assembly Commission bills were subject to different guidance than those tabled by ministers or private members.
“As this is a technical Bill which deals with matters of process, the Assembly Commission agreed that a public consultation was not required on this occasion,” the statement said.
It said an ad hoc committee may decide later if consultation is necessary.
