THE 80 MPs SET TO QUALIFY FOR A PENSION

PROPOSED ELECTION DATE CHANGE COULD COST MILLIONS

OTTAWA • A small change being proposed to the federal Elections Act could see 80 federal politicians suddenly qualify for a House of Commons pension without having to win another election.

MPs are eligible for a pension after six years of service.

It's a span that's of consequence to MPs first elected in the Oct. 21, 2019, general election who were set to miss out on hitting the six-year threshold by as little as a single day, with the next federal vote scheduled for on or before Oct. 20, 2025.

But Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc has introduced a suite of changes to the Elections Act. While it includes expanding days for advance voting and an easier process for mail-in ballots, it also moves the current proposed fixed election day from Oct. 20 to Oct. 27, 2025.

The extra week aims to move the election away from Diwali, a Hindu religious festival starting on Oct. 20 and lasting several days, as well as municipal elections in Alberta on Oct. 20.

That said, the decision to move the federal election a few days later, instead of earlier, will cost Canadians as much as $120 million, the estimated lifetime pension if all 80 MPs were to lose their seats, according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

MPs who don't serve six years are refunded their pension contributions and those the government makes on their behalf, but are not entitled to a pension.

MPs can start receiving pension payments on a reduced basis as early as age 55 and qualify for a full pension at 65.

While six years of service is the minimum, pension amounts grow with more years in Parliament.

“This looks like the government is pushing back the election so more MPs can take a very lucrative, taxpayer-funded pension,” said Canadian Taxpayers Federation director Franco Terrazzano. “If politicians don't want to look shady, then they should stop doing shady stuff like this.”

LeBlanc said overall the bill was about strengthening democracy.

“Our government believes that a strong democracy begins with enabling all Canadians to freely exercise their fundamental right to choose their representatives and we'll always be there to defend that right,” he said.

The Liberals lost seats in the 2019 election, as they moved from a majority to the first of now two minority governments. As a result, the primary beneficiary of this change would be Conservative MPs, 32 of whom won their seats for the first time in 2019.

The second largest number of MPs to benefit are Liberals, with 22 MPs who would qualify under the proposed change. The NDP have six MPs elected in 2019, and the Bloc Québécois have 20.

The government isn't bound by the fixed election date and in a minority the Liberals could lose the confidence of the House of Commons at any point, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he expects the election to take place in 2025.

Here are the MPs who would qualify for a House of Commons pension under the proposed date change:

❚ Aitchison, Scott, CPC, Parry Sound–Muskoka

❚ Anand, Anita, Liberal, Oakville

❚ Atwin, Jenica, Liberal, Fredericton

❚ Bachrach, Taylor, NDP, Skeena–Bulkley Valley

❚ Baker, Yvan, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre

❚ Baldinelli, Tony, CPC, Niagara Falls

❚ Battiste, Jaime, Liberal, Sydney–Victoria

❚ Bérubé, Sylvie, Bloc, Abitibi–Baie-James–Nunavik– Eeyou

❚ Blanchet, Yves-François, Bloc, Beloeil–Chambly

❚ Blanchette-Joncas, Maxime, Bloc, RimouskiNeigette–Témiscouata–Les Basques

❚ Blois, Kody, Liberal, Kings– Hants

❚ Bragdon, Richard, CPC, Tobique–Mactaquac

❚ Brière, Élisabeth, Liberal, Sherbrooke

❚ Brunelle-Duceppe, Alexis, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean

❚ Chabot, Louise, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville

❚ Champoux, Martin, Bloc, Drummond

❚ Collins, Laurel, NDP, Victoria

❚ d'Entremont, Chris, CPC, West Nova

❚ Dalton, Marc, CPC, Pitt Meadows–Maple Ridge

❚ Dancho, Raquel, CPC, Kildonan–St. Paul

❚ Desbiens, Caroline, Bloc, Beauport–Côte-de-Beaupré– Île d'Orléans–Charlevoix

❚ Desilets, Luc, Bloc, Rivièredes-Mille-Îles

❚ Dong, Han, Independent, Don Valley North

❚ Dowdall, Terry, CPC, Simcoe–Grey

❚ Duncan, Eric, CPC, Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry

❚ Epp, Dave, CPC, Chatham– Kent–Leamington

❚ Gaudreau, Marie-Hélène, Bloc, Laurentides–Labelle

❚ Gazan, Leah, NDP, Winnipeg Centre

❚ Gray, Tracy, CPC, Kelowna– Lake Country

❚ Green, Matthew, NDP, Hamilton Centre

❚ Guilbeault, Steven, Liberal, Laurier–Sainte-Marie

❚ Hallan, Jasraj Singh, CPC, Calgary Forest Lawn

❚ Jaczek, Helena, Liberal, Markham–Stouffville

❚ Kelloway, Mike, Liberal, Cape Breton–Canso

❚ Koutrakis, Annie, Liberal, Vimy

❚ Kram, Michael, CPC, Regina–Wascana

❚ Kurek, Damien, CPC, Battle River–Crowfoot

❚ Kusmierczyk, Irek, Liberal, Windsor–Tecumseh

❚ Lalonde, Marie-France, Liberal, Orléans

❚ Larouche, Andréanne, Bloc, Shefford

❚ Lattanzio, Patricia, Liberal, Saint-Léonard–Saint-Michel

❚ Lawrence, Philip, CPC, Northumberland–Peterborough South

❚ Lehoux, Richard, CPC, Beauce

❚ Lemire, Sébastien, Bloc, Abitibi–Témiscamingue

❚ Lewis, Chris, CPC, Essex

❚ Louis, Tim, Liberal, Kitchener–Conestoga

❚ Martinez Ferrada, Soraya, Liberal, Hochelaga

❚ Mathyssen, Lindsay, NDP, London–Fanshawe

❚ Mazier, Dan, CPC, Dauphin–Swan River–Neepawa

❚ McLean, Greg, CPC, Calgary Centre

❚ McPherson, Heather, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona

❚ Melillo, Eric, CPC, Kenora

❚ Michaud, Kristina, Bloc, Avignon–La Mitis–Matane– Matapédia

❚ Morantz, Marty, CPC, Charleswood–St. James–Assiniboia–Headingley

❚ Morrison, Rob, CPC, Kootenay–Columbia

❚ Normandin, Christine, Bloc, Saint-Jean

❚ Patzer, Jeremy, CPC, Cypress Hills–Grasslands

❚ Perron, Yves, Bloc, Berthier–Maskinongé

❚ Powlowski, Marcus, Liberal, Thunder Bay–Rainy River

❚ Redekopp, Brad, CPC, Saskatoon West

❚ Rood, Lianne, CPC, Lambton–Kent–Middlesex

❚ Ruff, Alex, CPC, Bruce– Grey–Owen Sound

❚ Savard-Tremblay, SimonPierre, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe–Bagot

❚ Shipley, Doug, CPC, Barrie–Springwater– Oro-Medonte

❚ Sidhu, Maninder, Liberal, Brampton East

❚ Simard, Mario, Bloc, Jonquière

❚ Soroka, Gerald, CPC, Yellowhead

❚ Steinley, Warren, CPC, Regina–Lewvan

❚ Therrien, Alain, Bloc, La Prairie

❚ Tochor, Corey, CPC, Saskatoon–University

❚ Trudel, Denis, Bloc, Longueuil–Saint-Hubert

❚ Turnbull, Ryan, Liberal, Whitby

❚ Van Bynen, Tony, Liberal, Newmarket–Aurora

❚ van Koeverden, Adam, Liberal, Milton

❚ Van Popta, Tako, CPC, Langley–Aldergrove

❚ Vidal, Gary, CPC, Desnethé–Missinippi– Churchill River

❚ Vignola, Julie, Bloc, Beauport–Limoilou

❚ Vis, Brad, CPC, Mission– Matsqui–Fraser Canyon

❚ Weiler, Patrick, Liberal, West Vancouver–Sunshine Coast–Sea to Sky Country

❚ Zuberi, Sameer, Liberal, Pierrefonds–Dollard

PATRICK DOYLE / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES A government proposal to push 2025's election date back by a few days would mean as many as 80 MPs would automatically qualify for a House of Commons pension, even if they lose their seats next year or choose not to run.

ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc has proposed pushing back next year's election day to Oct. 27.