I take the position that I have principles, so as a principle based member of the House I will try to use those principles to make my decision on how I vote on the bill. [...] I understand what this opt in, opt out situation does and so should the members opposite. It sends a completely flawed message to the people of Canada. It says that there can be two different classes of members of parliament based on their fundamental principles. That is wrong.
Mr. Chairman, the Secretary of State for Multiculturalism may want to add some comments. I believe if she were in the private sector she would have been fired long ago. I believe she would have been fired, dismissed, sacked and gone. If she would like to add—
Shit Pallister Could Have Said:
SILENCE BEAUTIFUL SILENCE
I DECLINE THAT OPTIONAL PENSION ON PRINCIPLE
What kind of shit is this:
So Pallister stands up the House of Commons to make an angry and apparently—or at least repititiously—"principled" argument against an opt-in pension plan for MPs, calling it an unfair waste of taxpayer dollars. And he just GOES OFF on Hedy Fry for disagreeing with him. Man, I can just picture Pallister practically foaming at the mouth with righteous anger.
And what does this frugal champion of the taxpayer who furiously attacks a fellow MP for supporting an optional pension do when he retires? HE TAKES THE GODDAMN MONEY!
The hypocrisy here amazes even us, gentle reader. Team Shit Pallister Says have become pretty jaded about what Brian Pallister is willing to say, but even we were amazed that he would stand up and argue against wasteful payouts and then shamelessly just grab the money only a few years later.
Maybe because it's actually quite a lot of money.
According to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, his pension was worth $35,405/year in 2008 (now $40,104/yr!). And ON TOP OF THAT he got $77,700 in severance! By the time he's 75 that sweet, sweet golden parachute will be worth about A MILLION DOLLARS. And he's been getting all this on top of a six-figure paycheque as the leader of the opposition.
Geeze no wonder he doesn't want us to see his tax returns. Dude is just raking in the cash from almost all levels of government while he's out there railing against government spending. How does he even sleep at night?
And lest we forget: this pension was OPTIONAL. That's why he got so angry at Hedy Fry. Wait, like, he was probably totally justified, right? Here's what she said, in full:
Whoa nelly!
Well Pallister made a choice, that's for damn sure. He chose the money and not—after all that—the principles.