Conservative MPs elected in 2015 said that no one wants to talk about it, but everyone is considering it.

According to the MPs’ Pension Bill, MPs must contribute to the plan for at least six years before they can receive pensions.

For the 142 members of Congress who were elected for the first time on October 19, 2015, if they fail in the elections to be held before October 19, 2021, they will not be able to receive the pensions of members of Congress.

From the age of 65, they may lose at least $32,000 in their retirement pension each year. This amount has been indexed and has become more generous based on increased service years.

Currently, the basic annual salary of members of Congress is US$185,800. Ministers and parliament secretaries will receive more salaries and allowances.

According to a statistics from Radio Canada, in the early elections, more than half of the Liberal Party’s core figures (92 members of Congress, including 23 ministers) may not be able to receive pensions. Cabinet ministers Diane Lebouthillier and Jean-Yves Duclos may face fierce competition. They are competing with 31 Conservative MPs and nine EU MPs. Seven New Democrats and three independent parties belong to the same category.

Bloc MP Gabriel Ste-Marie was elected in October 2015 and has been in service for almost six years. He told Radio Canada that pensions were the last thing he worried about, and officials elected only to make money entered politics for the wrong reasons.

New Democratic Party Democrat Daniel Blaikie agreed with this statement, saying that he did not run for Congress to obtain a generous pension.

Taboo topics

However, at least one member of Congress said in an interview with Radio Canada that the imminent pension deadline may encourage some of his colleagues to postpone their retirement.

Another federal congressman, who asked not to be named, said that for older congressmen, this may affect whether they choose to run again.

Geneviève Tellier, a professor of political science at the University of Ottawa, said the whole topic of politicians’ salaries and pensions is a bit taboo-elected officials don’t like to talk about it because the public thinks their salaries are high.

Members who have not reached six years of service before leaving office will receive a lump-sum pension to repay their interest.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s majority of seats will be affected by the pension period. Will this affect the calculation of the prime minister before and after the next general election?

Blackie said that the financial situation of members of Congress should never be considered in the election.

Tyrell told Radio Canada that strategists in the Prime Minister’s Office will focus more on the party’s needs and its chances of winning a majority in the House of Commons, rather than on the financial difficulties of individual MPs.

Trudeau’s team also realizes that it can’t wait to dissolve the parliament. If it wants to avoid overlapping with the municipal elections in Quebec on November 7, it’s not okay.

On Tuesday, members of the Federal Parliament almost unanimously passed a non-binding bill calling on all parties to avoid elections during the pandemic.

However, it may be difficult for the PMO to determine when the exact health crisis will end.

Behind the scenes, liberal strategists hinted that the early window of the election campaign might open in mid-August, with voting in late September.

Sources from the Liberal Party told Radio Canada that if efforts to end the pandemic are done well and the opposition parties prevent Parliament from functioning properly, this situation may become a reality.

If the window does not open in the fall, Trudeau may be inclined to wait until the next federal budget in 2022 before it falls sharply.

In this case, the 142 members of Congress will have guaranteed pensions.