Harper & cronies change their minds on $

[#juan]

Harper among former Reformers now entitled to collect big MP pensions
at 12:38 on February 21, 2010, EDT.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
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OTTAWA - Almost all the remaining MPs from the old Reform Party - including Stephen Harper - stand to collect over $100,000 a year in pension benefits once they retire.

Back in 1993, a group of 52 Reformers took Ottawa by storm, capturing the public attention with their stand against so-called gold-plated pensions for Members of Parliament.

At the time, they said they would refuse to collect their pensions as a way of leading by example and fighting the deficit.

But since then, according to tracking by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, most of them have quietly opted back in, including the 11 who are still in the House of Commons,

Now, as the public service suspects Ottawa is about to target the pension packages of government workers as a way to tackle the latest deficit, MPs' own pensions are under scrutiny again.

Numbers crunched by the Taxpayers Federation lobby group show that Prime Minister Harper is in line to collect $150,244 a year if he were to retire at the end of this year, while Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl could collect more than $155,000.

 

[#juan]

How did we decide that MPs needed this kind of money as a pension? It's not as if MPs weren't paid enough. What really gets me is the Reform's big talk about not taking the pensions because they were just too honest, or too conscientious or whatever, and then quietly sneaking back and opting in again. Nice...:angryfire:

 

[CDNBear]

Nice...:angryfire:

Nice like Liberals blowing a gasket because Harpo prorogued twice, while Cretien prorogued 14 times and we heard...?

That kind of nice?

:lol:

 

[#juan]

Try to stay on topic bear......If you understand what the topic is.

 

[Colpy]

How did we decide that MPs needed this kind of money as a pension? It's not as if MPs weren't paid enough. What really gets me is the Reform's big talk about not taking the pensions because they were just too honest, or too conscientious or whatever, and then quietly sneaking back and opting in again. Nice...:angryfire:

I don't think 150,000 a year for a former PM is so far out of line.....

However, if these idiots go after union pensions without cutting their own, I will never vote for them again.

You have my word on that.

 

[CDNBear]

Try to stay on topic bear......If you understand what the topic is.

What topic is that? Your typical unabridged hypocritical views of anything non Liberal? :lol:

I don't think 150,000 a year for a former PM is so far out of line.....

However, if these idiots go after union pensions without cutting their own, I will never vote for them again.

You have my word on that.

You mean you'd still vote for them now? Dude, I despise the Liberals, but even I'm embarrassed that I once voted con.

 

[#juan]

MPs have quietly pocketed a $3,100 pay hike, which takes their annual base salary to $150,800.
The automatic April 1 increase, based on private-sector settlements, also applies to separate salaries for extra duties -- jobs ranging from committee vice-chairman up to prime minister.
MPs also get a $22,000 yearly expense allowance, primarily for living costs in Ottawa, and 64 free return airline tickets each year to share with their partners and dependants.
NDP MP Peter Stoffer said it is ironic that MPs were cashing their bigger paycheques while Parliament was set to legislate striking CN employees back to work.
"It's a bit hypocritical," said Mr. Stoffer.
The increase brings Prime Minister Stephen Harper's annual pay to $301,600.
His salary is low compared to the remuneration for bank presidents and senior executive officers in the private sector, but as Mr. Harper has joked, he lives in the best public housing in the country at rent-free 24 Sussex Drive.
Liberal MP Rodger Cuzner said he believes most MPs earn their wages and are busy with work in Ottawa as well as their ridings.
He defended the CN back-to-work legislation, saying he supports it because rail transportation is "an essential service."
The Canadian Taxpayers' Federation said it supports the level of salaries MPs earn, but believes Parliament should be more transparent about pay rates and perks.
No news releases are issued announcing the increases.
"Nobody would argue we should be paying them peanuts," said the federation's national research director, Adam Taylor. "We're more critical about the lack of openness displaying this stuff."
Commons Speaker Peter Milliken yesterday appeared at the Commons procedure and House affairs committee to explain details of a $10-million increase in the House budget to $410.5 million for the 2007-08 fiscal year.

 

[gerryh]

Nice like Liberals blowing a gasket because Harpo prorogued twice, while Cretien prorogued 14 times and we heard...?

That kind of nice?

:lol:

nice deflection......now......
Do you think you have where with all to adress the op?


It's no surprise to me, the hypocracy from the right is palatable.

 

[Colpy]

What topic is that? Your typical unabridged hypocritical views of anything non Liberal? :lol:

You mean you'd still vote for them now? Dude, I despise the Liberals, but even I'm embarrassed that I once voted con.

Bear...nice to see you.....but now I'm gonna disillusion you......:tard: Not only do I vote for them, I'm a party member and I send them money.

Scary, I know.

 

[#juan]

I'm a party member and I send them money.

Scary, I know.

I'm sure you can get help for that......;-)

 

[CDNBear]

nice deflection......now......
Do you think you have where with all to adress the op?


It's no surprise to me, the hypocracy from the right is palatable.

Isn't hypocrisy and politics synonymous?

Are you surprised a politician, and I really don't care what colour, is doing something he said he wouldn't? It's almost a prerequisite, once you've been labeled "Honourable", to be anything but!!! I just like how juan refuses to grasp that, so long as we're talking about the left...:lol:

Bear...nice to see you.....but now I'm gonna disillusion you......:tard: Not only do I vote for them, I'm a party member and I send them money.

Scary, I know.

Yes scary, and considering earlier today, I Think Not and I were discussing how level headed and intelligent we thought you were, my image of you is shattered...:lol:

It's good to see you too sir.

I'm sure you can get help for that......;-)

I hear therapy and a rigid drug regiment is in order. :lol:

 

[gerryh]

Isn't hypocrisy and politics synonymous?

Are you surprised a politician, and I really don't care what colour, is doing something he said he wouldn't? It's almost a prerequisite, once you've been labeled "Honourable", to be anything but!!! I just like how juan refuses to grasp that, so long as we're talking about the left...:lol:

Addressing the op with "but the other guys did this" is a weak argument at best.

If you agree with Juan on this particular incident with former Reformers, then be a big enough man to say you do.

 

[CDNBear]

Addressing the op with "but the other guys did this" is a weak argument at best.

It wasn't even an argument.

If you agree with Juan on this particular incident with former Reformers, then be a big enough man to say you do.

I think I already did. Cuz I do.

I just like poking the little hypocrite once in a while. Geeze, why to blow my buz...:lol:

 

[Avro]

How did we decide that MPs needed this kind of money as a pension? It's not as if MPs weren't paid enough. What really gets me is the Reform's big talk about not taking the pensions because they were just too honest, or too conscientious or whatever, and then quietly sneaking back and opting in again. Nice...:angryfire:

So true....and almost no peep from the so called liberal media.

I also love how Reform use to lambaste the Libs over deficits and when they were eliminated no recognition from the right at all......not to mention the cons went ahead and created the biggest deficit in Canadian history.

Laughable at best.:lol:

 

[SirJosephPorter]

Juan, a politician will say anything, do anything to get elected. Whatever Harper and his cronies were saying (Senate reform, they won’t accept the pensions etc.) was purely to get votes. Harper told his supporters what they wanted to hear.

He knew that eventually the enthusiasm for such initiatives will die down, people will forget about it (people have short memories), and he can go on doing business like it has been done for decades.

But in the meantime, he was able to dupe his supporters and was able to win an election. Isn’t that what a politician is for?

And I am sure some of his supporters knew this well enough when they voted for him. He could take their votes for granted, they will vote for him no matter what he says or does. But then there was another kind of voter, naïve in the extreme, who took Harper at his word and voted for him. The votes of such a voter made the difference in the election.

It is typical politics, nothing more.

 

[#juan]

I remember the Reform party bubbling in to fill the right wing vacuum left by Bulroney. I also remember their saying that they wouldn't take the big pensions because it would be hypocritical seeing as how Reform was made of better stuff. At the time I wondered if they would follow through and I thought it would be great if they did. It looks like they didn't after all. We shouldn't be surprised. Harper was still palsy with Mulroney after it came out that the chin received money in paper bags.

 

[Avro]

I remember the Reform party bubbling in to fill the right wing vacuum left by Bulroney. I also remember their saying that they wouldn't take the big pensions because it would be hypocritical seeing as how Reform was made of better stuff. At the time I wondered if they would follow through and I thought it would be great if they did. It looks like they didn't after all. We shouldn't be surprised. Harper was still palsy with Mulroney after it came out that the chin received money in paper bags.

 

[Nuggler]

8O
Harper & cronies change their minds on $


This ain't news, Wan.

You mean..........:glasses11say what??).........You BELIEVED it back then??????????????8O

YOU
BELIEVED
.......................PRESTON MANNING!!:sad1:

YOU BELIEVED.....................STEVO???

YOU BELIEVED................JOBS JOBS JOBS???

:-(

And they let you fly planes!!! Jets, no less.

Christ, they laughed at us lefties and called us fools when we said the "Free Trade" agreement was a farce and would cost us dearly and our manufacturing would be gone, along with agriculture, lumber, health care, and the right for Canada to make a decision concerning its' own future.

You truly sucked up their bullsh!t?? No. I don't believe it. Course, you were an officer I guess, (much smarter), and orders from headquarters always have to be believed.

And now, the country is supremely screwed, and the government is going to say, it's the fault of the "Canadian people", and you are probably going to believe that also.

So, when Harpo says the CPP " and the OAS .............."costs too much"..........you are going to believe that too, and agree we should cancel them, along with the Canadan Health Act, and public oversight, and civilian oversight of money and nuclear power...........(they fired the last overseer for doing her job)

Just gets too deep and thick.

This place is getting far too stupid, with the preponderance of right wing nut bars far exceeding the left wing nut bars. Can't have that, eh.

Gonna go find Karrie and see if she needs help giving CC up for Lent. Or if she wants some company. Just for Lent giving up, eh.

Shouldn't be too much of a fukkin strain. really.

:canada:

 

[#juan]

8O
Harper & cronies change their minds on $


This ain't news, Wan.

You mean..........:glasses11say what??).........You BELIEVED it back then??????????????8O


:canada:

It wasn't a question of believing or not believing. It was deciding "who the hell we vote for now?" Back in those days Manning looked at least as good as Joe Who, and he still looks better than Stockwell Day.

Yeah, they let me fly airplanes........All by myself too.....;-):lol:

 

[Bar Sinister]

What topic is that? Your typical unabridged hypocritical views of anything non Liberal? :lol:

You mean you'd still vote for them now? Dude, I despise the Liberals, but even I'm embarrassed that I once voted con.

I always vote for the party that is farthest to the left. It scares the hell out of the Canadian establishment.