Here it is: the first caucus Wednesday of the fall, when each party gathers, isolated in assigned rooms on Parliament Hill, to strategize and talk shop with their caucus colleagues.
One of the items up for discussion in these rooms could be the changes coming to lucrative MP pensions — something taxpayer advocacy groups have long been calling for.
In the 2012 budget, the government promised changes, though the document was thin on detail.
With details such as increasing MP contributions and the age of eligibility now trickling out, members of the opposition caucuses will also get a shot to discuss their pension reforms.
The reforms don’t only bring bad news for MPs. As Global News reported last night, the freeze on their salaries, legislated last year to stay at 2010 levels, will be lifted as a compensation for the pension changes.
If the changes are lumped in with other items in the Harper government’s next omnibus budget bill, the oppositioin could find itself in a tough spot — if they vote against any items in the budget bill, they risk being painted as against bringing their pensions down to a level closer to that of other Canadians.
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While all of this is going on behind closed doors, former Newfoundland premier Brian Peckford will be on the Hill to disclose documents that he says demonstrate the significant role he played in patriating the Constitution in November 1981.
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Once the MPs emerge from their caucus meetings and head toward the House of Commons, members will continue the debate on Public Safety Minister Vic Toews RCMP accountability bill and Justice Minister Rob Nicholson’s bid to “increase offenders accountability for victims” in terms of victim surcharges. Both bills have been on the floor since the House returned Monday.
Other bills that could make it to the floor today include National Defence Minister Peter MacKay’s bill on military justice and two bills that originated in the Senate — one regarding family homes on First Nation reserves and the other on the safety of drinking water on First Nation lands.
Before the House rises tonight, members will vote on several private members bills:
– NDP MP Olivia Chow’s bill to establish a national public transit strategy, which is at second reading.
– Conservative MP Gord Brown’s bid to change the name of the St. Lawrence Islands National Park of Canada to Thousand Islands National Park of Canada. This bill is at report stage.
– Conservative MP Blake Richards’ bill, which seeks to make it a crime for a person to conceal their identity with a mask or otherwise during riots and unlawful assemblies. The bill is also at committee stage.
– Conservative MP Guy Lauzon’s proposals to change the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to ensure any money from lawsuits against the government owed to a federal inmate would go toward paying child support, victims surcharges and other debts.
In Montreal, meanwhile, the Charbonneau Commission investigating allegations of corruption in Quebec’s construction industry continue.
And finally, later this evening, Chief Electoral Officer Marc Mayrand will be down the road at the Government Conference Centre, meeting with more than 200 student teachers from the University of Ottawa to discuss civic education and youth civic engagement in Canadian schools.
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