Some extra incentive for NDP MPs to try to hold on to their seats

OTTAWA -- If some New Democrat incumbents go down to defeat Monday, they stand to lose more than their seats. 

They could also lose some or all of the generous severance payments to which defeated MPs are normally entitled.

That's because more than five dozen New Democrats have been ordered to repay the House of Commons a total of $2.75 million for improperly using their parliamentary office budgets to pay the salaries of staff in satellite party offices in Montreal, Quebec City and Toronto.

On average, the incumbents owe about $30,000 each but four of them are on the hook for more than $100,000.

The New Democrats have so far refused to pay...