Ottawa

Peter Goldring Maverick Watch

The Independent Conservative MP disagrees with changes to the MP pension plan.

“This is just cowardly. This is just appealing for the almighty vote without giving consideration on how is it going to reflect on the quality of your future parliaments,” Goldring said in an interview with Postmedia News. “It really isn’t fair compensation.”

After taxes and pension contributions, he figures MPs could effectively be taking home around $50,000 a year or less. Many MPs come from “substantial backgrounds” and leave behind well-paying careers when jumping into politics, he said. The pension plan, as it currently sits before the changes, provides an “extra edge” that’s needed because many MPs can’t return to their previous careers, he said. “You’ve got a vacuum here, and when people are considering whether they’re going into politics, they will be considering this,” Goldring added. “You have to have some type of leveller,” he said, otherwise the only people who will run for federal politics are “college kids or the very wealthy.”

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.