The Premier and a former board member both admitted on Saturday TransLink's salary hike isn't exactly justified.
TransLink board members voted in favour of a 500 per cent pay raise for themselves earlier this week at a quiet meeting that was closed to the public.
Premier Gordon Campbell told CTV British Columbia's Rob Brown the pay hike doesn't sound good to him.
"Does a 500 per cent increase sound good to me? No it doesn't sound good to me," he said. "But I think the results -- 12 hundred dollars for taking part in a conference call -- well, I think the results will speak for themselves and we'll have to watch that."
Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan, a former TransLink director, told CTV British Columbia's Rob Brown he thinks the pay hike is embarrassing.
"I think it's insulting to the previous board," he said. "I think it's inexcusable."
Last year, TransLink directors made an average of about seven thousand dollars, but now they will start at $25,000. Members will earn $1200 for each committee meeting they attend, even by phone. A director could earn as much as $45,000 per year.
"You can effectively call in and sit there in your jammy's and earn 12 hundred bucks," Corrigan said. "That's not bad."
Dale Parker, the new chairman of TransLink, said he would not discuss the matter when CTV phoned him.
Several transit users CTV spoke with are not happy to hear the news.
"I guess most people on transit, myself included, wouldn't be overly fond of that. Especially with fares going up as they are," one transit rider told CTV News.
"That's ridiculous," said another.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Rob Brown
