Old age insecurity

“It has driven a wedge betweeen people and it’s provoked a terrible, unnecessary backlash, raised false hope, confused members, and has aroused anti-immigrant sentiments, so we’re calling on her to withdraw the bill,” Eng says.

“Dhalla’s bill is poking into a hornet’s nest with no positive outcome at the end. If it had a hope of solving the problem, we’d put our weight behind it and support it, but it doesn’t,” she adds.

Dhalla’s political peers in opposition and in her own caucus have also rained on her bill’s parade.

Instead of spending her time attacking the Conservative government, MP Judy Sgro, the Liberal’s seniors and pensions critic, distanced herself from Dhalla’s bill.

“The Leader and the Liberal caucus feel the solutions to the challenges facing our national pension and retirement systems must be addressed holistically and with a comprehensive national vision,” Sgro said in a recent release.

“Expenditure of public dollars must never be made without careful consideration of the long-term ramifications on the public treasury.”

Human Resources Minister Diane Finley says the Tory government will not support Dhalla’s bill.

“This proposal is costly and irresponsible and it’s unfair to Canadian taxpayers,” Finley says.

She notes Old Age Security payments, unlike those from the Canadian Penson Plan — in which workers contribute throughout their career — is paid out of the general revenue from all taxpayers.

“Our government is 100% against this bill.

“We believe the current 10-year requirement of residency strikes an appropriate balance of individuals who have contributed to the Canadian society and will have access to this lifelong benefit,” Finley says.

On the question of whether Dhalla should withdraw the bill, Finley says: “I don’t think it should have been presented in the first place.”

© The Toronto Sun

Keywords: seniors, poverty