Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he will not reduce the size of his cabinet or the number of parliamentary assistants he employs following an all-party agreement to raise the salaries of MPPs, which had been capped for 16 years.

Last week, legislation to increase the base salary for an MPP at Queen’s Park from $116,550 to $157,250 passed all three readings and became law within minutes of being tabled.

The 35 per cent raise for MPPs ended a lengthy salary freeze and was justified by the Progressive Conservatives, the NDP, the Liberals and the Greens as being necessary to attract better candidates.

On Friday, Premier Ford also said the pay increase was necessary — but that he would not reduce the size of his front bench or assistants — despite previously saying he had handed out some tit

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