Manitoba politician says he’ll donate controversial severance to charity

WINNIPEG – A member of Parliament who received a severance package when he left provincial politics says he has decided to donate it all to charity.

Larry Maguire received a full year’s pay when he quit the Manitoba legislature last year to run in a federal byelection.

The move was criticized by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, which said politicians should not get severance pay if they quit their jobs voluntarily.

In a post on his Facebook page, Maguire says he will donate all of his after-tax severance to charities in southwestern Manitoba.

Maguire’s payout was in the media earlier this week, but he says he has always felt people in his situation don’t deserve severance pay.

Most provinces offer such pay to politicians who quit or retire, although the amounts vary widely between jurisdictions.