Pensions for outgoing MLAs to cost taxpayers $485,000 per year
- Liberal MLA Chuck Porter to get the biggest pension at $62,000 per year.
- The CTF calculated the total lifetime payout would reach $13.8 million.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the government of Nova Scotia to scrap its expensive MLA pension plan.
“While these 19 MLAs won’t be sitting at Province House anymore, it doesn’t mean taxpayers are done paying for them,” said CTF Interim Atlantic Director Renaud Brossard. “As Nova Scotia is facing a $585 million deficit, scrapping the unaffordable MLA pension scheme should be a no-brainer.”
Pension payments for retiring or defeated MLAs from this last election will cost taxpayers $485,000 in annually.
The CTF calculated that, should the 19 retiring MLAs live to be 90, taxpayers would give them a total of $13.8 million in pension benefits.
Former Liberal MLA for Hants West, Chuck Porter, will get the largest payout at an estimated $62,000 per year, which represents over $2.1 million in cumulative pension benefits by age 90.
Under the current plan, MLAs become eligible for a lifetime pension at taxpayers’ expense after a mere two years in office.
Last year, taxpayers put $12.70 for every $1 MLAs put into their pension plans.
“Despite the reforms made a few years ago, taxpayers are still paying the lion’s share of these former politicians’ retirements,” said Brossard. “It’s time the government scraps it once and for all out of respect for Nova Scotia taxpayers.”
The pension breakdown for each of the 19 outgoing MLAs is available by clicking the following link: https://www.taxpayer.com/media/2021-08-19%20-%20NS%20MLA%20pensions.pdf