This and that for your Thursday reading. – Carol Goar notes that the Cons’ decision to mess with retirement security may be just the type of issue to rouse voters who had been lulled to sleep by promises of stability – which seems more plausible than Chantal Hebert’s theory that
Continue readingTag: OAS
Scott's DiaTribes: Public backlash forces Harper to back down a bit on OAS cuts
Conservative MP’s are often described as parrots for doing nothing but repeating scripted phrases over and over again in defense of their government, or being not the brightest bunch in the world. However, they are smart enough to recognize when the voters get mad, and concerned enough about their own
Continue readingPolitics and Entertainment: Most Commentators and Economists Say Threshold Change for OAS is Unnecessary
Surveying recent media coverage including economists referenced or interviewed, one will discover that roughly 9 out of 10 commentators argue that the age threshold for OAS does not require changing to maintain sustainable funding for the program despite swelling seniors’ ranks and a decreasing Canadian population. Neither the argument that
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Paul Wells points out that despite the Cons’ best efforts to get Canadians to panic over the state of our retirement system, the truth is that we’re actually better positioned now than was projected 20 years ago. (And for those looking inexplicably for
Continue readingToday’s Conservative: afraid of debate, emboldened by a docile media
For the 13th time in nine months, the Conservatives have stifled debate on an issue important to Canadians, especially those approaching old age. “Enthusiastic support”, indeed. When the public is shut out from discussion, of whose support is Van Loan speaking? Mr. Van Loan made the accusations of delay in
Continue readingToday’s Conservative: afraid of debate, emboldened by a docile media
For the 13th time in nine months, the Conservatives have stifled debate on an issue important to Canadians, especially those approaching old age. “Enthusiastic support”, indeed. When the public is shut out from discussion, of whose support is Van Loan speaking? Mr. Van Loan made the accusations of delay in
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Kady points out that the Cons are back to their old tricks in trying to push as much committee work as possible behind closed doors. – Susan Delacourt theorizes that the Cons are likely to use anger rather than fear as their
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Harper needs to come clean on his Old Age Security ‘reforms’
Parliament resumes very shortly as of this writing. It is to be hoped that Stephen Harper will deem Parliament important enough to reveal the details on his very public musings in Davos Switzerland last week about Old Age Security needing to be “reformed” – an announcement that couldn’t wait for
Continue readingThe Pension Plan fiasco. Who cares? There are few jobs for someone 60, let alone 65 or 67.
I’ve been watching bemusedly – and with no little horror – the arguments waged between elite media types, celebrated authors and lowly bloggers over Stephen Harper’s hint about raising the qualification for old age pension from 65 to 67. It’s all academic, literally. What’s not being considered in these finely-wrought debates
Continue readingThe Pension Plan fiasco. Who cares? There are few jobs for someone 60, let alone 65 or 67.
I’ve been watching bemusedly – and with no little horror – the arguments waged between elite media types, celebrated authors and lowly bloggers over Stephen Harper’s hint about raising the qualification for old age pension from 65 to 67. It’s all academic, literally. What’s not being considered in these finely-wrought debates
Continue readingA shock to the system: Harper goes after seniors
Or, almost-seniors. Those approaching the age of 65 must be gasping for breath this morning, learning of Harper’s hint at perhaps raising the age for receiving ‘old age’ benefits to 67. More sinister are his plans for OAS and the Guaranteed Income Supplement, necessary programs for caring for those who
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Afternoon Links
Assorted content to end your week. – If there’s a more accurate description of the Cons’ entire political strategy than “taking advantage of the prejudice that’s already there”, I haven’t heard it yet. And Chris Lawson is rightly frustrated that Canadian politics are being dominated by such cynical and destructive
Continue readingA Different Point of View....: New Latin American/Caribbean alliance aims to further reduce Gringo Power
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez with Argentina’s President CristinaKirchner at the CELAC summit. Slowly but surely, the Gringos are being chased out of Latin America and the Caribbean!The 600-million people of the combined regions have taken another important step towards minimizing the influence of the United States, the International Monetary Fund
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