Canadian Taxpayers Federation claims retiring MLAs will collect more than $13 million in pension benefits

So it shouldn't come as a surprise that the organization has issued a news release condemning all the money flowing to B.C. legislators after they leave office.

The CTF's B.C. director, Jordan Bateman, estimates that 11 B.C. Liberal MLAs elected in 2009 will collect around $13 million over their lifetimes.

"The pensions of Gordon Campbell, George Abbott, Bill Barisoff, Murray Coell, Barry Penner, and Kevin Krueger are especially vexing," Bateman said in the release.

That's because they were all initially elected on a platform opposing "gold-plated" pensions.

For every $1 contributed by MLAs to their plan, taxpayers kick in $4, according to the CTF.

MLAs who lose reelection fights or retire can also collect 15 months pay as severance. The CTF didn't include this in its calculation of future pension income.

Here are the estimate lifetime payouts going to retiring B.C. Liberals:

Gordon Campbell: $1.7 million at $98,175 per year

Bill Barisoff: $1.57 million at $90,992 per year

George Abbott: $1.54 million at $89,084 per year

Murray Coell: $1.54 million at $89,000 per year

Kevin Krueger: $1.5 million at $87,700 per year

Barry Penner: $1.35 million at $78,500 per year

Kevin Falcon: $1.09 million at $62,983 per year

Harry Bloy: $720,000 at $49,000 per year

John Les: $835,000 at $48,289 per year

Dave Hayer: $824,000 at $47,600 per year

Iain Black: $520,000 at $30,000 per year

Three retiring MLAs elected for the first time in 2009—the NDP's Dawn Black and B.C. Liberals Kash Heed and Mary McNeil—won't collect legislature pensions because they will have only served four years by the time of the next election.

One retiring New Democrat, Michael Sather, will collect $28,500 per year, or an expected $490,000 over his lifetime. He was first elected in 2005.

Follow Charlie Smith on Twitter at twitter.com/csmithstraight.