February 27, 1995 For Immediate Release
BREITKREUZ OPTS-OUT OF MPs GOLD-PLATED PENSION PLAN
"The Liberal's plan for MPs pensions would be illegal for any private firm in Canada."
Ottawa - Garry Breitkreuz, MP for Yorkton-Melville today confirmed that he will not participate in the revised Liberal's gold-plated, MP pension plan. "The Liberal plan would be illegal for any private firm in Canada," said Breitkreuz. "Members of Parliament will still receive benefits three times greater than other Canadians are allowed. They'll receive full benefits at age 55 and those cheques will be indexed to provide complete protection against inflation. Under the new rules, it is estimated that an MP would have to work 19 years in order to qualify for the top pension. However, the average Canadian would have to work 35 years in the private sector in order to qualify for similar benefits," reported Breitkreuz. "Deputy Prime Minister Sheila Copps will still collect the MP pension lottery of $2.7 million if she retires in 1997 and lives to the age of seventy-five, and Canadian taxpayers will be picking up the tab."
"The Liberal's unwillingness to truly cut their lavish pension perks will stand in marked contrast to the Finance Minister's budget today. The Liberal government will be asking Canadian taxpayers to endure cuts to programs and services, and still asking them to hand over even more of their hard-earned money in a vain attempt to satisfy their overspending addiction," a critical Breitkreuz said. "This half-hearted attempt at reforming MPs pensions is a slap in the face to every hard-working Canadian."
"The only positive thing about the Liberal's plan is that it will allow Members of Parliament, who have been forced to participate in this insulting pension scheme, to opt out," said Breitkreuz. "Members of Parliament need to set an example and start cutting at the top. The only way to do this is to opt-out, and that is exactly what I intend to do. We'll see if there are any Liberals with the courage to do the same."
"The Liberals always defend their gold-plated pension by saying, "It's hard for a politician to find a job when they're voted out of office." Breitkreuz responded to this bogus excuse saying, "Why should it be any different for an MP than for ordinary Canadians. The MPs are the ones that have run up so much debt and high taxes that are killing jobs. When are they going to wake-up and realize what a mess Liberal thinking has made of the economy in the past twenty-five years?" When asked whether opting-out would hurt him, Breitkreuz replied, "No more than winning a lottery and never going to pick up your multi-million dollar prize."
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