OTTAWA, ON: In light of charges being laid against former Liberal Senator Mac Harb and suspended Conservative Senator Patrick Brazeau, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) renewed its call on the Harper government to speed passage of Bill C-518, the Protecting Taxpayers and Revoking Pensions of Convicted Politicians Act.

The private member’s bill introduced by John Williamson, Conservative MP for New Brunswick Southwest, would take away the Parliamentary pension from any MP or Senator convicted of a serious crime, including stealing from taxpayers.

“Canadians have just witnessed the spectacle of convicted fraudster, former Liberal Senator and MP Raymond Lavigne, collecting his $67,000 annual pension while sitting in jail for filing false Senate expense claims,” said CTF Federal Director Gregory Thomas.

“We now have a former Liberal MP and Senator and a former Conservative Senator each facing criminal charges relating to their official duties, with more Senators under criminal investigation’” said Thomas. “Clearly, Senators and MPs need tougher anti-corruption penalties to combat the temptations politicians face.”

The bill would take effect on the day it was introduced in the Commons last June. If passed, politicians facing charges and under RCMP investigation will no longer be able “pull a Lavigne” and resign at the last minute saving their pension entitlements.

The CTF estimates that Harb is currently collecting an annual pension of $108,000. The CTF also estimates that if Brazeau remains a suspended Senator through January 2015, once he turns 55 he would be eligible for a $34,586 annual pension.

The pension loss is one of five accountability recommendations in the CTF’s Accountability Act 2.0, a proposed package of reforms to clean up Parliament Hill and put an end to expense scandals.

Other tenets of the program include making MPs and Senators subject to the federal Access to Information Act, regular comprehensive audits by the Auditor General of spending by MPs and Senators, online reporting of all expenses (including receipts) by MPs and Senators, and recall provisions for MPs and Senators similar to the legislation in effect in British Columbia.

“We call on Stephen Harper to extend the reforming reach of the Accountability Act of 2006, his most popular legislation ever,” said Thomas. “Leadership comes from the top.”

Bill C-518 is modeled on the law passed by the NDP government in Nova Scotia following that province’s MLA expense scandal.