Link political pensions to provincial indebtedness

What is it about elected political power that politicians will risk bankrupting the electorate to achieve it?

They routinely mortgage the future to such a level that it will likely take generations to repay. They routinely make extravagant promises that only a fool would believe and smile while making them.

Political power to a politician is like crack to a drug addict.

They will do anything to get hold of it. However, unlike real life, where the crack addict likely sees their life descend to the depths of despair and decrepitude, the elected politician, after foisting their failures on the tax payer, routinely sails nonchalantly into the future equipped with a lucrative pension underwritten by the very people they have placed in financial bondage.

When, I wonder, did the objectives of elected politicians change from introducing policy and enacting legislative change for the maximum common good to profligate spending, promising everything to everyone, in order to satisfy their lust for power.

Perhaps their pensions should be tied to the change in debt level during their term in office? If the proportional change, increase or decrease, were applied to their pensions we might see the public purse treated with more respect. In the case of the debt-loving Ontario and Newfoundland Liberals, retired politicians would actually be making significant contributions to the provincial treasury.

A change, I suspect, tax payers would welcome.

I challenge all political parties to place this policy in their platform for the upcoming provincial elections.

Let’s see who’s serious about reducing the provincial debt. Let’s see who is serious about changing the cavalier attitude politicians show to the expenditure of tax payer dollars.

Barry Imhoff St. John’s