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“I got a stipend to be the deputy leader and do extra work,” said Hyer.

He said the extra payment was fair because he was required to perform additional duties for the party. “It was extra work and extra responsibility.”

He was brought on as deputy leader to perform tasks, work on weekends, work outside his normal workload as an MP

Hyer noted that the officials in other parties, such as House leaders, whips and parliamentary secretaries, also receive additional payments on top of their base MP salaries.

The Green Party never publicly disclosed it was paying additional money to Hyer until asked about it by the Ottawa Citizen.

Spokesman Julian Morelli said the amount paid is private information and declined to provide the figure.

“He was brought on as deputy leader to perform tasks, work on weekends, work outside his normal workload as an MP,” Morelli said.

Morelli said he wasn’t sure if the payment would be discontinued now that Hyer has lost his seat.

Some people on federal council raised a bit of an eyebrow, but others were fine with it

Mark MacKenzie, a former president of the Green Party, said the federal council that governs the party was never told the exact amount Hyer was paid under the arrangement struck between Hyer, May and then-executive director Emily McMillan.

He said some on the council were “not crazy” about the deal when they learned of it in early 2014.

“Some people on federal council raised a bit of an eyebrow, but others were fine with it,” MacKenzie said. “It was at the point where our fundraising was starting to move.”

MacKenzie said the federal council had previously approved a salary for a deputy leader under the expectation that the position would be filled by someone who wasn’t already elected.