MP pensions are finally going to get reformed?

[c.t.ner]

Originally Posted by Slava

Why won't the conservatives just put a bill forward that is a stand-alone bill though if the vast majority will likely support it? Why does it have to be laced with all sorts of other clauses and riders that are disliked by the other parties? I suppose that wouldn't be pragmatic enough.

Come on now, this is politics Slava. That would give the impression to most Canadians that Parliament is actually able to agree on something across party lines and everyone knows that's not good for the image of a dysfunctional Parliament.

Every party in power does this sort of gamemanship. It's the same sort of mentality that was shown in question period, when every comments from Harper in responce to Muclair was prefaced with the Paul Ryan-esque exaggeration of the NDP's 20 Billion dollar Carbon Tax policy...

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by Slava

I have no idea what you're arguing here. The Liberals are saying that they'll support this while the NDP wants to wait and see what the bill actually looks like before making a decision (the horror!).

He said that the article supported his claim that all parties would vote for a stand alone bill. I'm not saying they wouldn't support such a bill, simply saying that the article does not say that.

[vanisleflamesfan]

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Jacks

He said that the article supported his claim that all parties would vote for a stand alone bill. I'm not saying they wouldn't support such a bill, simply saying that the article does not say that.

If only Harper had a way to just make this happen though....maybe he could just pass a bill through the house and senate and...I don't know, make it law? I'm just thinking off the cuff here.

The whole thing is laughable. Its so transparent though. You know that bill will be loaded with all kinds of garbage to make it completely unpalatable.

[vanisleflamesfan]

Oh dear lord, I can`t believe that I actually have to do this. I`m not sure if your obstinate refusal to read is adorable or pitiful.

Oh and by the way, thanks for the hot tip on how to read a newspaper. I wonder how could I have possibly lived this long without knowing those amazing things that you told me about newspapers.

I wasn`t sure how to put green text into a link, and I wasn`t sure that it really needed it, but perhaps, I misjudged you.

Okay, from the article which clearly does not state that opposition parties would support a stand-alone bill:

Opposition MPs support slashing their generous pensions

Liberal House leader Marc Garneau says his party will support any and all measures to trim MPs' pensions

"I challenge the prime minister to commit today to that reform in the form of a single, stand-alone bill... so that Liberals can unequivocally vote for it."

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair said his party is "more than willing" to reform the pension plan but it should be done by an independent, blue-ribbon panel rather than by MPs, who are in an obvious conflict of interest.

So I suppose that, at worst, you could say that the NDP have some reservations, however, their concerns are not unreasonable, and it is certainly not reasonable to assert that they would not support a stand-alone bill just because they do not want MPs to review MP pensions.

[Jacks]