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Senator's 24-year-old wife gets $500k pension 'til 2079

Author: Nick Bergamini 2013/08/08

The 24 year-old-wife of 70-year-old Senator Rod Zimmer stands to collect a pension until 2079, valued at over $500,000. Maygan Senserger and Zimmer have only been married for two years, but this won't stop her from cashing in for the rest of her life.

Appointed by Paul Martin in 2005, Zimmer will collect an annual, indexed to inflation pension of $31,601. The law that regulates Senator and MP pensions provides that in the event of their death, their surviving spouse will continue to receive 60 per cent of their pension. Sensenberger and Zimmer were only married for a quarter of his Senate term, entitling her to 15 per cent of his total pension.

Assuming Zimmer lives until age 90 - the average life expectancy of pension plan members - Sensenberger will begin to collect a pension in 2033, at 44 years old. Indexed to inflation, she would collect $532,568, assuming she also lives to age 90. In the event that she were to begin collecting immediately, she would collect $644,000 by the time she reaches age 90 in 2079.

She made international headlines last year during an incident of airplane anger, after she alledgely threatened to slit her husbands throat. She was convicted for the airline spat, but charges of uttering threats to her husband and endangering the safety of the aircraft were later dropped.

 

Sign the CTF's petition calling for a national referendum to abolish the Senate here.


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