Gary BANNERMAN ® open lines TO HEAR elected politicians whine about their salaries, a gullible soul might dispatch them forthwith for replenish- ment from Mother Theresa. It also makes one wonder why there are a dozen candidates salivating at the prospect of each elected office. The moaning minstrels of Parliament Hill tend to overlook the fact that at least 90 per cent of their brethren are making more money — and certainly more perks — than they did in any other job. When you get to know them, it requires a flight of fancy to imag- ine they could get paid as much doing anything else. But [’m writing this column with inadequate resources before me. One of the first joyous surprises a newly-elected parliamentarian discovers in Ottawa is a hefty cata- logue of goodies. It beats reading Hansard, at least on the first night. It’s like a child set loose in a toy department at Christmas. On this sortie for information, my patience expired before the prized volume was obtained. Ottawa discourages questions about benefits consumed by those swimming in the trough. After a couple of long distance calls, a dutiful civil servant dispatched a four-page fact sheet. Perhaps he thought we’d be dumb enough to thiak THIS IS IT! Where was the fun stuff? Un- limited Canada pins, $5,000 for office furniture for anew MP and $3,000 after each successive elec- tion; free postage; 64 free cross Canada flights each year (business class) and $170,000 a year to run a constituency office. Where is the menu for the Parliamentary dining room? Is it true MPs think McDonald’s is an extravagant place to dine? Want your laundry and dry cleaning done for half what we pay? Get elected. Why is it that every MP’s home seems like a stationery store. Their children complain that the national coat of arms is a nuisance on all their school supplies. Magic Carpet: 2. area rugs cleaned for Who else has unlimited free travel on Via Rail? Who else wants it? Why is it that the MP gets unimpeded access to aircraft, but the spouse, after using up a gener- ous annual aviation limit, gets stuck on the train? The pension plan is the best in the country. After six or seven years, lifetime benefits start swing- ing into place. It's too boring to dwell upon the free extended med- ical, and cheap insurance provi- sions. My heartiest chuckles come from the part of their loot titled “*tax-free expense allowance.’" What expenses? Travelling on business, they get hotels, meals and the usual pr > vided. That’s not true about feeding themselves between Ottawa and home, but the airlines do that. Around the constituency, they are on their own. All the following rates were those in existence before a recent increase: MPs all receive $60,000 salary and from $20,000 to $25,000 for expenses, depending upon the size of their constituency. Add $70,000 for the Prime Minister and $46,000 for every cabinet minister plus a few thousand here and there for committee responsibilities and assorted odd jobs. Nothing is al- truistic. Every task has a price. All MPs — before the handsome benefits — scrape up and over the $100,000 a year mark. hak Members of the Legislative Assembly are paupers by com- parison, but they’re not hard done by. They, too, within minutes of election, start pretending they are big league executives. Every MLA gets just under the:price of 1. Pick any two area rugs. We'll clean the first one at our regular price, the second one free. That includes free pickup and delivery and free in- home estimates. Our exclusive cleaning pracess guarantees you the very best care. Fine Orientals are our specialty. Call now, The magic is limited. “RUG & FURNITURE CLEANING — “Serving the North Shore since 1961" $50,000; a constituency travel ex- pense allowance of from $2,200 to $5,000; $40,000 for a constituency office; free extended health care; unlimited stationery, postage and long distance phone (within BC); 52 return trips to Victoria each year to be used by the MLA or assigned to wife or staff (three times maximum each year); sub- sidized dining and all laundry and dry cleaning while travelling. Or- dinary travel expenses are paid when travelling on business. The list of perks parades through photo services, postage, newspapers, telegrams and $6,000 a year for non-Victoria MLAs to attend the House. Amazingly, Vic- toria MLAs get $2,500 a year extra to drive across town. Just about everyone has an extra job to add from $3,000 for a depu- ty government whip to $45,000 for the premier, to the annual harvest. Cabinet ministers earn $40,000 ex- tra. An MLA is a part-time job. However, any MLA who serves the lesser of seven years or two Parliaments, is entitled to receive a pension at age 60, or an arithmetic calculation of years in elected of- fice added to actual age. A 50-year-old retired politician who had served 10 years could draw a pension until death and a succeeding spouse until his or her death. The pension cheque -~- indexed — is five per cent of the average earnings during the highest four paid years in office, including cab- inet, multiplied by the total years of service to a maximum of 16. The 50-year-old retiree, if he served four years in the cabinet at an average income of $80,060 per year, would receive a pension of $3,333.33 per month, for life. it’s reminiscent of a letter once written to Premier Robert Baldwin of United Upper Canada in 1843: ‘*Our men won the victory and they are entitled to the prize moncy.”* SorteeCany 9 - sunday, Januury 28. 1990 - Nocth Shore News CANADIAN CLOSET SHOPS a 986-4263 Free home estimates A Place To Go When You're Pregnant And Need Support: GIRTHRIGHT Call 987-7313 » Free Pregnancy Test » 229 Lonsdaie In Vancouver Call North Vancouver 687-7223 20-50% OFF All work guaranteed Expertly done in any colour in your own home Specialists in bathtubs. sinks, ules and major appliance regtaz:ing a Free Estimates Mr. Bathtub Fixer 680.4706 NOTICE OF FOUNDING MEETING FCR THE SOCIAL CREDIT CONSTITUENCY NORTE VANCOUVER-SEYMOUR Hon. 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