Sunday, October 4, 2009

About Conservative Attacks on Bill C-428

Ruby Dhalla has introduced a private member's bill. It's Bill C-428. Nothing new. The same bill received support when it was introduced by Colleen Beaumier not so long ago.

Because it IS Dr. Dhalla that introduced the bill, every Conservative blogger, TV station and radio call-in show has viciously attacked her and the bill. Misinformation seems to be their game.

Not one of them seems to recall that it was, in fact CONservative MP Gurmant Grewal that brought this to Parliament back in November 2004:

Motion M-187

Title: OAS Reform

Description: That, in the opinion of the House, the government should end the disparity of the 10-year residency requirement for Old Age Security eligibility.

Status: Placed on the Order Paper on November 3, 2004

___________________________________________________________

Where was the faux outrage then?

NDP MP Denise Savoie, with Olivia Chow also supported the bill:

For seniors
C-261 Establish a pension ombudsman
C-262 Ensure a guaranteed monthly income for seniors
C-336 Full retroactivity for pensions beginning at age seventy
C-432 Establish the first Sunday in February as Seniors’ Day
M-96 Eliminate the 10-year residency requirement for OAS
M-120 Half-price passports for seniors
M-135 Create a dedicated federal department for seniors to implement the NDP’s seniors charter




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7 comments:

Robert G. Harvie, Q.C. said...

Ok. So, my blog has no reference to the recent bill. No "faux outrate". I just think it's a stupid bill, and is a piece of political pandering - it was when Grewal brough it in, and it is now, as it's put forward by Dhalla.

So - at least ONE Conservative blogger, in a non-partisan way, thinks it stinks from where ever it's coming from.

ACSial said...

For years, the pundits have been saying that we 'need' over a quarter million immigrants annually, in order to keep our pension system solvent. Now, with Dhalla's actuarial armageddon bill, THAT facade's finally fallen off.

The REAL reason for mass immigration is simply to keep the real estate bubble endlessly inflated. More warm bodies equal more housing and associated infrastructure (roads, schools).

Urban sprawl, loss of habitats and farmland, what's that? Aside from political correctness (most of our unsustainably-high influx of immigrants are People of Colour), philanthropic payolla keeps the 'environmentalists' mouths shut. The Sierra Club had its David Gelbaum debacle. The David Suzuki Foundation gets most of its dough from BMO-Financial and CIBC, who've lobbied for nearly doubling immigration.

We 'need' hundreds of thousands more warm bodies every year, like the pension and healthcare systems need tens of thousands of elderly claimants--like a hole in the head.

Mike said...

"Grits distance selves from Ruby Dhalla's old age benefits bill"

What are your thoughts on this latest development James?

hitfan said...

I had an open mind about this bill, and Ruby Dhalla presented as her main argument in favor of it on the Charles Adler show that Canada gives preferential treatment to immigrants from Poland and other European countries when it comes to providing old age security.

So on the surface, it appears that the current system is unfair right?

Well, I did some of my own research (via the web) and it turns out that the reason why Canada gives preferential treatment to certain countries is because there is a reciprocal agreement where Canadian immigrants to these countries also receive old age security over there. This policy is actually revenue neutral.

The consequences of Ms. Dhalla's bill is that senior citizens from poor countries (say India, China) where Canada has no reciprocal agreement would come here and take advantage of the social benefits. As well, immigration between Canada-India is rather one-sided where it is people from India who come here as well.

I've no problem with immigration, and I don't fear a diverse Canada. But Canada shouldn't become a doormat.

James Curran said...

it's amateur hour up in Ottawa Mike...on both sides of the floor. The Cons are desparate to win this riding from Ruby and the OLO have no idea how to fighht it.

As for you Quest, I doubt strongly you had an open mind about this bill. As I said, The Cons rolled with this bill a long time ago and nobody raised an issue.

Woodfort said...

Really Quest
I suggest yours to be a totally unbalanced unthought argument. How many Canadian immigrate to India vs. Indians to Canada.
I've lived 85 years in Canada, contributed via hard work, paying taxes,volunteering,philanthropy,and what ever else was needed. I sure didn't intend that my efforts would end up supporting some new immigrant- who is expected to eventually make a similar contribution, and want Canada to start off now supporting his aged
family members. That should be India's responsibility.

Basically I expect them to have to
1. Get a job
2. Live By OUR Rules
3. Pay YOUR Taxes
4. Learn the LANGUAGE like
immigrants have in the past
5. Have a sponsor, or your bucks
and your effort, or someone here
to help you. My immigrant
parents did.
6. And I would not support any
candidate who would use such a
blatant and stilted argument to
win favor with a minority, no
matter how much I might
otherwise support his or her
other policies
Woodfort

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