THE REAL REASON ALL THOSE FEDERAL MP'S ARE NOT SEEKING ANOTHER TERM.
Sixty elected members of the federal government have now reported having made the decision not to run in the upcoming next election!
Besides all the tear jerking that politicians have been giving about retiring, here is something else to consider. Amazing! It's a very high number compared to previous elections. Some of them tell us that it's for family reasons, others for their desire to serve their fellow citizens in other fields and many other great stories to make us cry.
Politics is the art of looking good !
We suggest that these stories do not weigh heavily in the face of the following explanation:
Coming at the end of 2015 a change in the pension for MP's ensures that the age of full retirement for an MP having served at least 6 years, will no longer be 55 years but 65 years. Thus any MP not yet 65 and who wants to benefit from the present pension scheme need only not run in the next election and thus live 10 years longer with government pensions of over 100,000/year.
For an elected MP approaching 55 and who is not running , that means about $1 million that he/she would not receive should he/she run and win again. One should also add the severance premium (between 80,000 and $ 125,000) upon his/her departure.
We understand better now these sudden family emergencies, appreciate the desire to advance his/her career in a government job or a committee of some sort and have two or three salaries, and possibly two or three pensions.
Not bad as a justification not to run, don't you think?
One more reason why I feel our politicians are the biggest criminals out there. Their pensions should be in line with the general publics. This bull that they are there to serve the public cannot continue. We need proper representation.
And don't get started on THE SENATE!
