UPDATE: On March 15, 2010 the CTF sent an urgent appeal to its 60,000 supporters to contact federal lawmakers and urge them to pass this opposition motion to end “ten percenters” – the practice that allows MPs to send partisan junk mail outside their ridings.

We’re happy to report the vote passed March 16th in the House of Commons 140-137. Click here to see how your MP voted.

It’s even better than that.

The motion also calls for reduced partisan advertising, ministerial use of aircraft, hiring of external ‘consultants’ and a smaller cabinet and prime minister’s office. This could save taxpayers $1 billion annually.

The motion then went before the Board of Internal Economy (BIE) – a closed-door cabal of MPs from all parties that decide matters of Parliamentary perks and privileges. On March 29, 2010 the BIE voted to end the practice.

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CTF calls on Canadians to urge their MP to support opposition motion

TORONTO: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is urging its 60,000 supporters and all Canadians to contact federal MPs from the Conservative and New Democratic Parties today to urge them to vote for the opposition motion to end the wasteful, partisan, junk-mail sent by MPs to Canadians who don’t even live in their ridings.

“Many Canadians have contacted our offices over the past few years complaining about receiving piles of partisan junk mail from their own and other MPs from across the country,” said CTF Federal Director, Kevin Gaudet. “This is their opportunity to save a few trees and a few million tax dollars by encouraging their MP to support this motion.”

Last week at a national press conference honouring the best of the worst in government waste, the CTF awarded MP junk mail the Federal Teddy award for government waste.

The votable motion is being put forward by the Liberal opposition caucus and a vote is expected late in the day on Tuesday March 16^th, 2010. The Bloc Quebecois may be poised to support the motion.

“MP junk-mail is just one element of a package where taxpayers subsidize partisan political efforts. In 2008 we supported the Conservatives’ efforts to eliminate the per vote political subsidy, which failed. MPs should roll-back the per-vote funding and campaign spending re-imbursement, but today we have MP junk mail in our targets.”

Gaudet concluded, “It’s more than just the few million in annual savings. It’s the symbolic recognition that our elected officials – from all parties – stop wasting our tax dollars for silly partisanship at a time when we’re going into debt at $134 million per day.”