House passes MP pension changes in surprise deal
MPs give unanimous consent to create separate bill and send it directly to the Senate
By Laura Payton, CBC News
Posted: Oct 19, 2012 11:32 AM ET
Last Updated: Oct 19, 2012 12:17 PM ET
MPs agreed Friday morning to split off measures to change their pensions from the rest of the budget implementation bill, announced the day before by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, meaning the measures go directly to the Senate. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)
Members of Parliament agreed this morning to split off measures to change their pensions from the rest of the budget implementation bill and pass them without debate in the House.
That means those measures go directly to the Senate, where they will be debated and voted on separately from Bill C-45, the second piece of legislation needed to implement the March 29 federal budget.
Interim Liberal Leader Bob Rae suggested Thursday that his party was willing to pass the changes to MP pensions right away and to discuss making the changes sooner than set out in the government's legislation.
The NDP have said they don't want MPs determining their own pensions and would like to see an independent panel review them.
The proposed changes mean MPs will start paying more into their pension funds as of Jan. 1, eventually ramping up to making 50 per cent of the contributions. MPs elected for the first time starting in 2016 won't be able to collect their pensions until age 65, up from age 55, or will take a hit in the pension if they want to start collecting sooner.
The motion came a few minutes before question period Friday, and wasn't the first time the House tried to pass it.
Liberal MP Marc Garneau moved Thursday afternoon to separate out pensions from the budget implementation bill, but didn't get the required unanimous consent.
NDP House Leader Nathan Cullen says the party wouldn't agree because they didn't want to speed through the changes to public service and RCMP pensions.
The next attempt came Friday mid-morning, but also failed, again because of the public service pensions. Cullen was spotted heading in and out of the office of Government House Leader Peter Van Loan, indicating the possibility of negotiations over the motion.
The final motion, applying to just MP pensions, passed just before 11 a.m. ET.
Share Tools
Speaker rules Bezan/Glover case raises prima facie privilege questions by Kady O'Malley Jun. 18, 2013 6:29 PM Conservatives move to shut down debate on motion to send the matter to committee for further study.
Top News Headlines
- Senators call for 'zero tolerance' on harassment in RCMP
- The RCMP should amend its code of conduct to explicitly define and prohibit harassment, a Senate committee is recommending in a newly tabled report. more »
- Are e-cigarettes safe to puff?
- As electronic or e-cigarettes grow in popularity, some health advocates want them to be regulated. more »
- Most groups don't want return of Trudeau speaking fees
- Most of the 17 charitable and other organizations that have paid speaking fees to Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau during his time as an MP say they aren't interested in having their fees returned, despite Trudeau's offer on the weekend to reimburse any organization unhappy with his services. more »
- Google asks secret court to lift gag on surveillance
- Google is asking the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to lift its long-standing gag order on how often the company is asked to turn over data about its customers to the U.S. government. more »
Must Watch
Latest Politics News Headlines
- Senate scandal taking toll on Harper image, poll suggests
- An exclusive poll by Nanos Research for CBC News Network's Power & Politics suggests Prime Minister Stephen Harper may be paying a political price for his handling of the controversy over a $90,000 cheque written by his former chief of staff to pay Senator Mike Duffy's wrongly claimed expenses.
more »
- Most groups don't want return of Trudeau speaking fees
- Most of the 17 charitable and other organizations that have paid speaking fees to Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau during his time as an MP say they aren't interested in having their fees returned, despite Trudeau's offer on the weekend to reimburse any organization unhappy with his services. more »
- Canada to send peacekeeping troops to Haiti
- A handful of Canadian troops are about to take part in peacekeeping operation in Haiti, under the command of Brazilian forces, in a long-delayed mission that has been kept inexplicably low on the political radar. more »
- Tory MP bows to Elections Canada in fight over expenses
- Conservative MP Shelly Glover has bowed to Elections Canada in a battle over her 2011 campaign expenses, days after filing a court challenge against the agency. more »
- G8 leaders agree to 7-point plan on Syria as summit wraps
- Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the other G8 leaders reach a seven-point plan aimed at stopping the conflict in Syria, wrapping up a two-day summit in Northern Ireland following talks on trade, tax evasion, poverty and terrorism. more »
The National
The House
- Senator Tkachuk defends secretive committee's work Jun. 15, 2013 8:03 AM This week on The House, we ask Senator David Tkachuk about Mac Harb taking the Senate to court and Pamela Wallin's explanation for her expenses problems. Plus, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Shawn Atleo has strong words for the Harper government's approach to First Nations issues. The Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt is here to respond.
- Canadians in Dominican wedding fight freed from jail
- Huge ancient city at Angkor Wat revealed by lasers
- TV chef Nigella Lawson's husband cautioned by police for assault
- Montreal mayor resigns amid corruption charges
- Disabled woman's care before dying on bus still a mystery
- Student with bullied past, 'The Doorman,' graduates
- 'Standing man' inspires new, silent protests in Turkey
- G8 leaders agree to 7-point plan on Syria as summit wraps
- Parents of son 'brutally beaten' playing hockey want charges


