MPs have agreed to drop a proposed Elections Act amendment that would push the next fixed election date one week and guarantee pensions for Liberal and New Democrat two-termers.Members of the House Affairs Committee on Tuesday said they would delete the clause in an elections bill, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.“There are over 40 amendments in our amendment package that deal specifically with the date of the election,” said Liberal MP Ryan Turnbull, parliamentary secretary for finance.Liberals “will support the change to that,” said Turnbull. New Democrats also said they would vote to eliminate the clause.Section 5.2 of Bill C-65 An Act To Amend The Canada Elections Act would change the statutory date of the next election currently fixed for Monday, October 20, 2025 to October 27. The delay of one week guarantees the minimum six years’ seniority needed by 28 Liberal and New Democrat MPs to qualify for a parliamentary pension..Trudeau Liberals push Elections Act amendments as part of agreement with NDP .Pension benefits currently average $77,900 a year under the Members Of Parliament Retiring Allowances Act. Two-term MPs first elected in 2019 do not qualify until Tuesday, October 21, 2025, a day after the current fixed election date.“This was a cynical, dishonest attempt by the Liberals and the NDP to pad their pockets with pensions,” said Conservative MP Michael Cooper.“They sold it as an election bill. Canadians are outraged by this. Canadians deserve answers.”Documents showed the bill was discussed at secret, invitation-only meetings between Liberal and New Democrat legislators and political aides weeks before the bill was introduced in the Commons last March 20. The Privy Council claimed the date was changed to avoid a conflict with 2025 Diwali celebrations, the Festival of Lights observed by Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists.“You have a lot of cultural and religious observances that take place in the fall,” Allen Sutherland, assistant cabinet secretary, testified at the House Affairs Committee October 31.“It was found October 20 which is the fixed election date occurs at the same time as Diwali, the Festival of Lights.”.PARLIAMENTARY PENSIONS: Liberals, NDP held secret talks to rewrite Elections Act.Conservative MP Eric Duncan said Diwali was a pretext. “The date was moved not for any cultural event,” he said. “It was moved for purely political purposes in terms of pension protection of Liberals and New Democrats. Conservatives want an election now.”Three cabinet members are among 28 Liberal and New Democrat MPs who stood to benefit from the change in election dates: Treasury Board President Anita Anand, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault and Tourism Minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada.
