Letter to the editor

How sad is this.  Having to give up your job so you can get more money.  AND they tell us they do it for their constituents NOT FOR MONEY!!!!!! By the way check out what pensioners get in this country.

The real reason behind 60 Elected MPs not seeking re-election

Sixty elected members of the federal government have now reported they have made the decision not to run in the upcoming next election!

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 for them.

Besides all the tear jerking that politicians have been giving about retiring here is something else to consider.

In 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 will draw for  10 years longer a government pension 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.

You can now understand better all these sudden “family emergencies”, appreciate the newfound 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 to not run eh?,

G J May

Forestdale 4118