The Trudeau rule

The NDP wants to ban MPs from being paid to speak

<p>Justin Trudeau in Toronto March 27, 2013 to visit the Green Zone at Ryerson University and speak at the Empire Cllub at the Royal York. Peter Bregg</p>

Justin Trudeau in Toronto March 27, 2013 to visit the Green Zone at Ryerson University and speak at the Empire Cllub at the Royal York. Peter Bregg

There is no higher compliment in professional basketball than being the cause of a rule change, so Justin Trudeau should perhaps be chuffed today that the NDP wants to ban “parliamentarians from double-dipping by banning payment for work that is part of their job as an MP or Senator.” For instance, public speaking.

Back in the spring of 2013 (children, ask your parents about it), this was the most dire crisis confronting this nation. There is an argument to be made that an MP is not paid as a parliamentarian to deliver speeches outside his or her riding, but probably it is not a winning argument.