By Rebel News | Created at 2024-12-20 22:39:48 | Updated at 2024-12-21 02:12:38
3 hours ago
Pierre Poilievre did not mince his words on Friday when calling on New Democrats to put "patriotism [before] pensions."
Until Friday morning, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh refused to say if a non-confidence vote was in the cards. "The Liberals don't deserve another chance," he wrote in a scathing letter.
The Tory leader urged Singh to write the Governor General in recalling Parliament, alongside his fellow opposition leaders.
"By the pension of one man," Poilievre said, "I'm asking Mr. Singh to put patriotism [before] pension, sign a letter to the Governor General confirming … he no longer has confidence in this prime minister."
A senior New Democrat claimed this week they would dissolve Parliament in late-February-early-March should Justin Trudeau remain leader.
Conservative and Bloc Québécois MPs failed to pass several confidence motions, courtesy of New Democrats who propped up the Liberals for months, only withdrawing their confidence agreement on September 4.
"The only way to put Canada first is to immediately elect a new prime minister who has the strength and smarts, the brains and backbone to put Canada first," Poilievre claimed.
As first reported by Rebel News, a March confidence vote coincides with Singh qualifying for his parliamentary pension on February 25, 2025.
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 fixed election date.
"You've all once again been duped and reported without any criticism of what he's done," Poilievre said Friday, pointing to the mainstream media. "He's talking about holding a non-confidence vote in March. … And it conveniently will get him his pension, [holding] 41 million Canadians … hostage."
Conservatives have repeatedly called out the ploy as "a cynical, dishonest attempt" to secure pensions for the Liberal-NDP cabal. "Canadians deserve answers," said MP Michael Cooper.
After considerable pressure, Liberal and NDP MPs decided against a fixed election date that would guarantee pensions for some 80 elected officials next year, including 28 Liberal and New Democrat MPs.
Dominic LeBlanc, then-public safety minister, claimed amending Bill C-65, An Act To Amend The Canada Elections Act, would accommodate Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists observing Diwali, thereby strengthening democracy.
A government spokesperson earlier claimed the legislative change had nothing to do with pensions. The minister reiterated that claim before the committee.
During heated testimony, MP Cooper asked Minister LeBlanc, "Whose idea was it to pad your pockets?” He deflected, claiming the MP demonstrated "supreme arrogance" by suggesting no Conservative MP would lose their seat.
"Was it a Liberal idea or an NDP idea to move back the election by a week so it guarantees defeated Liberal and NDP MPs their pension?" asked MP Eric Duncan.
"Pension entitlement had nothing to do with that decision to move the date," LeBlanc replied.
Canada’s election chief later said a secretive cabinet meeting did not include conversations on expanding parliamentary pensions.
"We were lucky to benefit from the non-partisan advice of both senior public servants and Elections Canada," LeBlanc told MPs on November 7. "There is no mystery."
Alex Dhaliwal
Calgary Based Journalist
Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.
