OTTAWA, Ontario (LifeSiteNews) — The Liberal government is attempting to delay the federal election in what many see as an attempt to secure pensions for MPs who are projected to lose their seats.
According to election amendments proposed March 20, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is planning to move the 2025 federal election to a week later than it is currently scheduled, ensuring that a number of Liberal and New Democratic Party (NDP) MPs who are unlikely to be re-elected would receive their pensions by passing the six-year threshold.
“Should a fixed date election be held in 2025, it would be held on Monday October 20th,” the amendment reads.
“However, many communities in Canada will be celebrating Diwali at this time,” it argues. “Therefore, a one-time change to the date is proposed so that the potential election would not conflict with Diwali. Instead, the election would be held the following Monday.”
The federal election is scheduled to take place on October 20, 2025, according to Canada’s Elections Act, which states a general election must be held “on the third Monday of October in the fourth calendar year following polling day for the last general election.”
If the election is held on October 20, many Liberal and NDP MPs who were elected on October 21, 2019 will just narrowly miss the six-year threshold to qualify for a lifetime parliamentary pension.
The proposed amendment would move the federal election to October 27, 2025, allowing the MPs to receive their pensions. Those who would benefit from the delay include Liberal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault and Treasury Board President Anita Anand.
The one-week delay could cost Canadian taxpayers millions to cover the extra pensions.
In 2021, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation calculated that Liberal MP Adam Vaughan would receive $1.3 million in pension benefits if he reached Canadian life expectancy through the pension plan. Similarly, Conservative MP David Yurdiga was eligible for $1.5 million of lifetime benefits after serving in the House of Commons for seven years.
Notably, the delay would only be of benefit to the Trudeau government if they believe they will lose the next election. Indeed, if Trudeau thought he could win the upcoming election, there would be little reason to delay to ensure his MPs would be given pensions.
The amendments come after months of polling in favour of the Conservative Party under the leadership of Pierre Poilievre.
A recent poll found that 70 percent of Canadians believe country is “broken” as Trudeau focuses on less important issues. Similarly, in January, most Canadians reported that they’re worse off financially since Trudeau took office.
Additionally, a January poll showed that 46 percent of Canadians expressed a desire for the federal election to take place sooner rather than the latest mandated date in the fall of 2025.
Recent polls show that the scandal-plagued government has sent the Liberals into a nosedive with no end in sight. Per a recent LifeSiteNews report, according to polls, were a Canadian federal election held today, Conservatives under Poilievre would win a majority in the House of Commons over Trudeau’s Liberals.