I’m Vanese Ferguson with Coffee Talk.  In the early 2000s a handful of Reform MPs chose to opt out of what they considered a gold-plated pension plan.  That included Lee Morrison who was an MP elected in southwest Saskatchewan.  The thinking in the day was that the demands on the public purse was unreasonable.

For instance, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation calculates that Justin Trudeau, will collect two taxpayer-funded pensions in retirement. Combined, those pensions total $8.4 million.  Not only are Prime Ministers entitled to an MP pension, but they get a second Prime Minister taxpayer funded pension.

Last year the CTF tabulated the numbers regarding the Governor General of Canada.  The CTF estimates that Canada’s five living former governors general will receive more than $18 million if they continue to collect their pensions till the age of 90. Former governors general can also expense taxpayers up to $206,000 annually for the rest of their lives, continuing up to six months after their deaths. Frankly I think that’s a gross misuse of public money.

Let’s harken back to COVID 19. Canadians, many in dire straits, got to watch as MPs received an automatic raise, every year.

It is desperately time for pension reform when it comes to elected and appointed officials.  But without political will, us every day Canadians can expect to keep out wallets open indefinitely.