Mendacious former MLA not enough reason for law grabbing back any convicted MP's pension.
by Stephen Kimber
If his latest poor-me pronouncements weren’t so outrageously obnoxious — not to mention flagrantly false — we would be wise to treat disgraced, and disgraceful former MLA Russell MacKinnon with the mocking contempt he’s richly earned.
Over and over he said, The Finance Department made me do it… The Finance Department made me do it…
MacKinnon, one of four MLAs whose entitled-to-their-entitlements expense claims were so egregious they warranted actual criminal charges, arrived for his trial two week s ago, loudly proclaiming his innocence. Three days later, he copped a mid-trial plea like a common thief, when it became clear he couldn’t sell his convoluted contortionist’s explanations for his bad behavior.
Unfortunately for MacKinnon’s reputation — and our blood pressure — his sentence didn’t come with a muzzle.
He pled guilty to one count of breach of trust and he got a sweetheart deal: Four months’ house arrest, with numerous get-out-of-the-house free cards, four months’ curfew, a year’s probation.
Unfortunately for MacKinnon’s reputation — and our blood pressure — his sentence didn’t come with a muzzle.
MacKinnon has spent the past week playing the aggrieved. “I didn’t defraud the government of five cents, not a penny… " he says, "I got the bejesus kicked out of me for the last three years over this, and I didn’t do anything wrong… I pleaded guilty to breach of trust because I believe MLAs are held to a higher standard, and I have to take responsibility even though the fault lies with the Department of Finance…”
Oh, let’s not even respond to his truth twisting.
No wonder people are upset. No wonder the we-hate-any-government Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation’s call to eliminate pension benefits for former MLAs convicted of crimes has traction.
His truth-twisting leaves people upset. No wonder the we-hate-any-government Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation’s call to eliminate pension benefits for former MLAs convicted of crimes has traction.
But we need to take a breath.
The real problem here isn’t with MLAs convicted of breaching their public trust continuing to draw pensions to which they contributed, and to which they — and, more importantly, their families — are legally entitled. It’s with the MLA pensions themselves. By most anyone’s standards, they’re incredibly rich and wrongly funded out of regular operating revenues rather than investments.
By all means, let’s reform the MLA pension system. But let’s not set a bad precedent by taking away anyone’s legally entitled pension benefits. There’s no telling where that could lead.
Let’s accept that Russell MacKinnon’s behavior is beneath contempt and move on to more important matters. Like MLA pension reform.
About Stephen Kimber
Stephen Kimber is the Rogers Communications Chair in Journalism at the University of King's College in Halifax. He is an award-winning writer, editor and broadcaster.
His writing has appeared in almost all major Canadian publications including Canadian Geographic, Financial Post Magazine, Maclean's, En Route, Chatelaine, Financial Times, the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star and the National Post. He has written one novel — Reparations — and six non-fiction books. Website: http://www.stephenkimber.com.
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