OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is calling on MPs from all political parties to pass private member’s Bill C-518, the Protecting Taxpayers and Revoking Pensions of Convicted Politicians Act.This bill would strip current and former MPs and Senators who are convicted of serious crimes related to their office. (Photo Joe Fontana Flicker/United Steelworkers)
Had this law been in place a couple of years ago, the $122,500 annual MP pension for London, Ontario, Mayor and former MP Joe Fontana would be revoked after today’s conviction of fraud, forgery, and breach of trust for expensing part of his son’s wedding reception to the House of Commons while he was a Member of Parliament in 2005.
“We need to send a message to crooked politicians that there is a serious price to pay if they are going to rip off taxpayers,” said CTF Federal Director Gregory Thomas. “MPs need to get this bill into law now, to ensure that Fontana and other politicians aren’t able to defraud taxpayers and walk away with a six-figure annual thank-you present.”
“The people of London sent Joe Fontana to Parliament to stand up for them,” said Thomas. “And instead, Fontana sat down with an eraser, whiteout and blue pen and changed an invoice for a wedding reception into an invoice for a reception with the federal minister of finance. Parliament needs to send a message that this outrageous criminal behaviour will not be tolerated.”
Former Liberal Senator Raymond Lavigne, recently released after serving a six-month sentence for fraud on taxpayers, collected his $67,000 parliamentary pension while sitting in a jail cell, and continues to collect it.
“This bill is a powerful anti-corruption measure,” said Thomas. “Politicians need to think about losing $122,500 a year for the rest of their life, like Joe Fontana should have, if they decide to betray the public trust.”
Bill C-518 is sponsored by John Williamson, Conservative MP for New Brunswick-Southwest. It is modeled on legislation already in force in Nova Scotia that was passed after several MLAs in that province were convicted, in a widespread expense scandal, of defrauding taxpayers.
Williamson’s bill passed second reading on a voice vote and has been sitting in committee since February.
For further information, please contact Gregory Thomas, Federal Director (613) 295-8409
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