Bloc pensions stand in the way of election

There are 16 reasons why there won’t be an election this summer, and probably won’t be one before next summer. Sixteen is the number of Bloc Québécois MPs first elected with the class of 2004, who will qualify for their parliamentary pensions six years to the day later. On June 28, 2010.

National Post June 5: Full Comment, L. Ian MacDonald, Canadian politics

Those 16 Bloc members need to be in Parliament until then for their pensions to vest. Should any of them lose their seats in an election first, they would also lose their pensions. This is no small consideration in keeping the House going until then. Consider: MPs’ pensions vest at 3% per year of their salaries for the first six years. That’s 18% of $155,000 (MPs’ base salary) per year, or $27,900 a year. Indexed. For life. No seat for six years, no pension.

Bloc MPs always resent any suggestion that they’re here working on their pensions from a country they’d like to break up, but that’s just one of the things that makes Canada such a great country.

As it happens, there are eight members of the NDP caucus who are also members of the class of 2004, and whose pensions vest next June. But of course, being socialists, they’re here for the people, not the pensions. Naturally.
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M.P.s in 5 years, 2 months, 13 days (as of today club)
Rough Count:
15 Liberals, 36 Conservatives, 8 NDP & 16 Blocs.