This CBC reports that Prime Minister Stephen Harper says his government isn’t going to cut Old Age Security benefits but they are going to look at the system’s “challenges”.Whatever that means. People aren’t buying it. From the story:
Opposition parties seized on the issue in question period Monday. They also took advantage of a scheduled debate on pooled registered retirement plans to rail against potential cuts. Earlier in the day, NDP caucus chair Peter Julian reminded Conservatives about the voting power of seniors. Julian said the party is ready to fight the government on pensions and other issues over the next few months. He said the government didn’t campaign on cutting or changing OAS in the last election, less than a year ago, and that it has to consider public opinion. Julian said seniors in his riding told him over the weekend they’d never vote Conservative again if they cut retirement income. “For the Conservatives to say, ‘we just don’t care about public opinion for the next few years,’ I think would be a primary mistake. I don’t think they’re that stupid,” Julian said. “Our job is to make sure that Canadians are aware that their points of view are being represented in the House of Commons,” he said.
Here’s The Globe And Mail’s Monday afternoon story for information junkies who want multiple stories on the same thing.
This whole “raise OAS benefits from 65 to 67” speculation that The Globe and other media were nattering about this weekend, after an alarming speech Harper gave in Europe, apparently wouldn’t apply to anyone currently collecting benefits anyway, so who knows what they’re talking about. Is there a way they can screw future retirees (like me) while shielding current OAS recipients (like Baby Boomers) from cuts? That would be just typical.
Oh well. I guess have to actually wait to hear their plans before I start complaining. How annoying.
