There is no need to shed tears for any Member of the Legislative Assembly who might lose their job in the upcoming provincial election.
Why, you ask? Well, defeated honourable members will soon shed their own tears when they realize they will soon return to the real world, where they may no longer be able to enjoy the many outrageous benefits they have grown accustomed to as legislators.
They will no longer receive a generous salary, access to expense accounts so protected that even the auditor general cannot scrutinize them properly, limited attendance in the legislature – only when the house is in session – and of course, an unheard of gold-plated pension if they have served six years or more.
One former cabinet minister who announced he would not run in the next election, as he wanted to spend more time with his family, will receive approximately $89,000 per year, having served a mere 17 years.
Compare this affluent arrangement with that of countless retired fixed-income senior citizens in Victoria who worked not for 17 years, but a period of 30 to 40 years. They now struggle to survive on a meagre Canada Old Age Pension plus a flexible CPP account, giving them a total of roughly $15,000 per year.
If you still must shed a tear, do so for the poor B.C. taxpayers who must shoulder the burden and pay for these atrocious benefits that have been afforded to our politicians.
Martin Battle
Victoria