To the Government of Canada,

We, the undersigned concerned citizens, call upon the federal government to prohibit Members of Parliament (MPs) from simultaneously holding another elected office, such as municipal councilor, school trustee, or provincial legislator.

Why This Matters

• Strengthening Democracy
  

Democracy works best when elected representatives are transparent, accountable, and fully committed to the people who elected them. Holding more than one elected position undermines public trust, creates potential conflicts of interest, and blurs lines of responsibility. Clear rules ensure voters know exactly who is representing them and where that representative’s priorities lie.

• Divided Focus and Accountability

MPs holding multiple elected positions dilute their ability to dedicate themselves fully to federal responsibilities. The public deserves legislators whose primary focus—and loyalty—is their federal role, free from time conflicts and competing responsibilities.

• Taxpayer Fairness

Collecting two salaries from the same taxpayers—often referred to as “double dipping”—undermines fairness. Provinces have began recognizing this issue and have passed legislation mandating that MLAs/MPPs who hold a municipal or school board seat are automatically disqualified—i.e., deemed to have resigned—from that local office.

• Provincial Prohibitions

Canadians deserve a representative who is all-in on the job they were elected to do and one who isn’t splitting their focus between two different levels of government. British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba already prohibit dual mandates.

• Taxpayer Advocacy Support

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) has long opposed unfair benefits and practices. “double dipping” with government pensions and salaries, is particularly egregious when taxpayers, who don’t enjoy such perks, foot the bill. The Federation’s advocacy highlights the expectation that public representatives should not benefit from redundant compensation.
 
Our Request

1. Amend the Canada Elections Act (or appropriate federal statutes) to explicitly disqualify a sitting MP from holding any additional elected office, whether municipal, provincial, or school board.
2. Ensure automatic resignation from the lesser office upon election to the House of Commons.
3. Integrate and reference the rationale and language from provincial legislation such as British Columbia’s Eligibility to Hold Public Office Act, which provides a clear, legal model.
4. Pursue related reforms to ensure full-time dedication to elected office and uphold proportionate accountability to voters.
    
   What You Can Do
   Sign this petition to show your support for accountable, focused, and full-time representation in Ottawa.
   Share widely—encourage others to stand against double dipping and for good governance.
    
   Together, we can modernize federal standards, ensuring our MPs are fully accountable, focused, and fair to taxpayers.

Thank you for your support.