Just days after the Nova Scotia election, CTV News is learning some MLAs who lost their seats may end up financial winners.
Michel Samson is one of eight Liberals not returning to political office for the next sitting of the Nova Scotia legislature.
Samson was first elected in 1998 when he was only 26 years old and because of that, he'll receive a substantial severance package of over $89,000 along with a pension of $76,000 a year once he turns 55.
Samson isn’t the only MLA receiving a pension for his years of service.
Defeated NDP MLA Denise Peterson-Rafuse will get $37,000 a year, while Liberal backbencher Joachin Stroink will receive $26,000 a year. However, an MLA with three and a half years’ service, such as Terry Farrell, will receive $11,000.
"Our politicians deserve fair pay and fair benefits. What they don't deserve is to have pay and benefits that go far beyond those of the taxpayer who are paying for them," says Kevin Lacey of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
Lacey says pensions don’t make sense for politicians and that they should get severance payments in line with the private sector.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business says the system needs updating.
"It used to be that pensions were to make up for lower salaries, that isn't the case anymore. Our recent wage watch, I think, has public sector wage salaries 25.2 per cent greater than their private sector counterparts," says Jody Morgan of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
While some changes have been made, lobby grNov oups say they haven’t gone far enough.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ron Shaw
