• 29% pay increases a smokescreen for re-instatement of retirement pension bonanza
  
• No changes in compensation until after next election
  

The CTF reacted in shock today and vowed to fight recommendations presented to the legislature by a politician-appointed panel on MLA compensation that would put B.C. politicians in the top 3% of income earners and reinstate gold-plated pensions fully 75% more generous than what is available to other public employees. The CTF will be preparing and publishing pension estimates based on the panel's recommendations.

"This is unbelievable," said CTF director Maureen Bader. "The Premier campaigned against gold-plated pensions while in Opposition and indeed the Harcourt government sensibly did away with them. Politicians should be well paid and have retirement provision, as they do now, but two terms in the legislature should not be the equivalent of a lottery win."

The CTF will be writing both the Premier and Opposition leader tomorrow morning urging that these recommendations be scrapped and no compensation changes be made until after the next election. "All 79 MLAs sought office and were elected on the basis of the compensation currently in place. For them to vote themselves 29% raises and a multi-million dollar pension lottery win not two years after the last election reinforces public cynicism. Such increases should be debated as part of an election.

Bader also pointed out that this sets a dangerous precedent for negotiations with public sector unions. "What credibility would this government have to control wage and benefit costs given their own generosity "

An analysis by the CTF in 1996 revealed the previous gold-plated pension plan had taxpayers contributing $6.50 for every $1 contributed by an MLA. This revised gold-plated offering is more modest yet will predictably have taxpayers footing a sizeable bill. Adds Bader: "The danger is that headlines will focus on a 29% pay increase and sideline the more important issue of potentially reinstating obscenely fat pensions. BC led the country in cleaning this nonsense up under the Harcourt government and now stands to be the first again to reinstate the same. A potentially shameful and embarrassing mark on BC."

"Last year, MLAs attempted a pocket-lining exercise on their own behind closed doors. Now they believe having handed it off to a politically-appointed panel will somehow insulate their accountability," added Bader. "The CTF will be encouraging its supporters and all BC taxpayers to call the premier and opposition leader and demand these recommendations be shelved."