by MorinvilleNews.com Staff
Federal MPs are eligible for a pension after six years of service. Those first elected in the 2019 election are eligible on Oct. 21, 2025, a day after the next scheduled election. Those reelected would receive a pension; however, those who lose their seats would not.
A move by the federal government to delay the next federal election by one week would trigger pension eligibility for a number of federal politicians elected in 2019, and is receiving criticism from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF).
“This looks like the government is pushing back the election so more MPs can take a very lucrative, taxpayer-funded pension,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “If politicians don’t want to look shady, then they should stop doing shady stuff like this.”
Federal legislation would move the next election from Oct. 20, 2025 to Oct. 27, 2025, the government says to avoid conflict with the Hindu religious festival Diwali. Additionally, Alberta municipal and school board elections are set for Oct. 20, 2025.
The one-week delay would mean 80 additional MPs would be eligible to collect a pension, the majority of those 32 are conservative MPs as the Liberals lost a number of seats in the 2019 election.
The CTF says the additional pensions total $120 million.
“If even half of these MPs lose, moving back the election one week would cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars,” Terrazzano said. “When MPs tweak the system to pad their pockets, it sends a signal to thousands of bureaucrats that they should dig deeper into the trough too.
“Leadership starts at the top and MPs are going the wrong way.”
CTF says it wants government reforms to the MP pension plan, ending severance and the transition allowance, and cancelling a proposed Apr. 1 MP pay raise.
If it was the other way around, they would not care if it effected a regular taxpayer. They, as usual, are just thinking of themselves. As always!