Former children’s representative sues B.C. government over pension
VICTORIA — British Columbia’s former children and youth representative has launched legal action against the provincial government, alleging it broke an agreement about her pension benefits.
Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond filed a notice of civil claim in B.C. Supreme Court on Friday, saying she made a verbal agreement with a legislative clerk in 2006 that promised her 1.5 years of pension entitlement for each year of service, but that promise has not been fulfilled.
Court documents said Turpel-Lafond asked for a leave of absence from her position as a provincial court judge in Saskatchewan in order to accept the job as B.C.’s first-ever children’s watchdog.
The leave required her to waive her right to contribute to the judge’s pension, so she wanted to make sure she got comparable benefits in her new position, the documents said.