PC poll conducted days before caucus' decision to return portion of committee money

Global News has obtained an internal poll conducted just before the PC caucus made its decision for MLAs sitting on a no-meet committee to return 6 months of pay.

While Premier Alison Redford had called the situation of 21 MLAs getting paid $1,000 a month to sit on a committee that hasn't met in nearly 4 years "ridiculous," she initially said that the decision of whether or not the money should be returned would be a personal one for PC MLAs.

And when MLAs from opposition parties decided to return the money they had earned for sitting on the Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections - Standing Orders and Printing, Redford called it a '"political stunt."

But during an emergency caucus meeting Tuesday afternoon, it was decided that the PC MLAs would return the committee pay they had collected since Redford became Premier, after all - something Redford insists is not a political stunt.

"I brought the issue to caucus and caucus made the decision," the premier said, adding that she set a standard in terms of how she would like the PC caucus to conduct themselves.

A telephone poll Global News obtained suggests otherwise, though.

The recording some PC members received asked "Would your opinion of an MLA improve or worsen if they returned the money? If it would improve press 2 on your keypad."

Global News contacted the PC party for comment on the poll but did not get a response.

When asked if her party conducted a poll on the committee pay issue, Redford said she didn't know and insisted it was a caucus decision.

Her critics were quick to jump in and attack her over the situation, though.

"I guess the Premier needs to poll Albertans in order to figure out what's right and wrong," said Wildrose MLA, Rob Anderson.

"I think their caucus is completely divided," he added. "I think that they've been in power so long that the feel they're entitled to their entitlements."

Those "entitlements" have not come without consequences, though.

Late Monday night, committee chair Ray Prins sent a letter to constituents saying he would no longer be running as a candidate. He wrote: "The issues surrounding MLA compensation were an unnecessary distraction for my caucus colleagues in the upcoming election."

An independent review is currently underway of how MLAs get paid.

With files from Vassy Kapelos, Global News