Stephen Harper tells Tory MPs that generous pensions will be trimmed

Machjo

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 19, 2004
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True but in each riding you may have 4 or 5 candidates to pick from. What are the chances of one being good? I generally vote just out of general principles, and try for the one where the stench is the mildest! Even the most well meaning and basically honest one finds that once he/she gets to Ottawa they are TOLD what the agenda is!

So vote for an independent candidate or hand in a blank ballot.
 

L Gilbert

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Nov 30, 2006
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If that's their mood, then they'll just vote in someone similar or worse. Better the devil you know...
That makes everything all right then.
They went from Turdeau to Bullroney to ChRETIeN to aPAULing , and not one could really have given 2 hoots about western Can. and the Maritimes. That's why I am pretty much against our centralised gov't having so much power.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
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I'll believe it when I see it. Until then, it's just talk, talk, talk. Sounds great, means nothing.

I think he's committed himself to at least some token action. I'm a little sceptical about the extent he proposes, but even if it's 10% better it's a start and better than any other hog at the trough has accomplished!

That makes everything all right then.
They went from Turdeau to Bullroney to ChRETIeN to aPAULing , and not one could really have given 2 hoots about western Can. and the Maritimes. That's why I am pretty much against our centralised gov't having so much power.

As long as the capital is in Ottawa the problems will continue. Perhaps they should move it to Canal Flats, that place looks like it could use a "shot in the arm".
 

L Gilbert

Winterized
Nov 30, 2006
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He did give MPs a pay cut about 2 years ago. No reason not to believe he'd do something like this with pensions. I think its a good move. They get way too much in their pensions and dont have to work very long to get it.
True nuff.

True but they wont have the same hangups as people who have lived there for decades. Most will have little to no knowledge of NEP and as a result wont whine about it for decades. It was a major screw up but it was a generation ago.
Well, it also wasn't the only issue.

There are a few I like. There's bound to be a few given there's a total of 308.

The cynics who say all politicians are the same/bad only have themselves to blame. Its the people who elect them. They didnt appoint themselves.
I can't blame myself. And I have been voting Indie for 3 elections now for a few reasons; one being that I am fed up with parties, another being that I think Indies are more liekly to be objective, wiser, and balanced than toadies who follow party lines. There are more but those are good enough. And who can blame anyone in western Canada or the Maritimes? We simply don't have the population base to buck the central Canada vote. ON and QC have 62% of the population of voters and most seats by far. And for a developed nation, we have one of the most archaic and unfair election systems around.
 

DaSleeper

Trolling Hypocrites
May 27, 2007
33,676
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My basic work pension was a percentage of the average my five best year times the number of years of service.....
I can't see why MP,s couldn't have a similar formula
 

SLM

The Velvet Hammer
Mar 5, 2011
29,151
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My basic work pension was a percentage of the average my five best year times the number of years of service.....
I can't see why MP,s couldn't have a similar formula

I say make them live off the CPP. Betcha' they'll take way better care of the fund that way too. ;)
 

tay

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May 20, 2012
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Changes to parliamentary pension plan ‘cowardly,’ MP says


Edmonton MP Peter Goldring, a former disgraced Conservative caucus member, said the hefty increase in contributions will dramatically reduce take-home pay for MPs who earn $157,731 in base salary, and ultimately make it far more difficult to attract top quality politicians.


Changes to parliamentary pension plan




Top quality like him?


After a party on the evening of Saturday, December 3, 2011, Peter Goldring was stopped by the Edmonton Police Service, during a routine roadside spot-check program to curb impaired driving. Goldring, who has publicly opposed the use of breathalyzers to catch impaired drivers, refused to provide a breath sample. Shortly after the incident, Goldring resigned from the caucus of the Conservative Party of Canada. He sits as an independent member of the House of Commons, and has asked to be recognized as an Independent Conservative.

Don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out, Pete.



Peter Goldring - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 

Liberalman

Senate Member
Mar 18, 2007
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Quick get a medical doctor our Canadian Prime Minister has had a mental break he is starting to believe in what his party stands for, truth, accountability and transparency. If his inner circle finds out he will be toast and the Canadian people will put him on the same level as the late Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.
 

tay

Hall of Fame Member
May 20, 2012
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Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says planned changes to the pension plan for members of Parliament won’t take effect until after the next election, noting it would not be fair to change the rules during the current term.


Funny, isn't it how Conservatives believe that it would be outrageous to change MP pensions retroactively, but civil servants,airline pilots, and everybody else -- even football referees -- are just supposed to suck it up.



Gotta luv the cons......................
 

WLDB

Senate Member
Jun 24, 2011
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Even the most well meaning and basically honest one finds that once he/she gets to Ottawa they are TOLD what the agenda is!

Indeed. I wish the MPs had the guts to say "No, I'll tell you what the agenda is" to their party whip and leaders. If one or two did it no one would really care, but half a caucus or more would be very interesting. We are supposed to be electing MPs - not 'yes men.'
 

damngrumpy

Executive Branch Member
Mar 16, 2005
9,949
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kelowna bc
Face it all sides took advantage of the system in the long run. Even the Reformers
bought into it before they left office for retirement. Making it apply only to new MP's
is of course the answer and if not it could see the whole thing end up in the courts
wasting more tax dollars. We learn from the past we are not supposed to milk the
past to look like we are doing something/
This whole thing is a red herring, everyone knows Canadians want the system changed
and most are willing to do so. Harpo Marx as PM is trying to score as many points as he
can instead of just doing the right thing for the right thing's sake.
 

PoliticalNick

The Troll Bashing Troll
Mar 8, 2011
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Edson, AB
There is no way they should get the gold-plated package they do for serving 8 years. Do away with any pension plan at all for the bast*rds. Offer them an RRSP matching plan with a cap of about 3% of annual base salary. That seems to be the common thing nowadays instead of the old-fashioned pension anyway.

For existing MP's just roll any money they have in the plan to an RRSP. No windfall settlements, no retirement medical benefits, just here is what you have earned and thanks for playing.

The only thing I wouldn't change is the package for those already past retirement age as they do not have the opportunity to still save or invest for retirement.