Assorted content to end your week.- No, there was never any doubt that any statement which could possibly be interpreted as insufficiently jingoistic in favour of the oil industry was going to give rise to a backlash from the Cons’ oilpatch base. But i…

I haven’t spent much time discussing the spate of recent polls showing the NDP with a modest lead on the Cons, as those top-line results can easily enough be considered an expected consequence of a tired government trying to force through controv…

I haven’t spent much time discussing the spate of recent polls showing the NDP with a modest lead on the Cons, as those top-line results can easily enough be considered an expected consequence of a tired government trying to force through controversial…

Having taken a bit of a hiatus during and after the NDP’s leadership campaign, I’ll resume looking back at what’s happened in the House of Commons starting with the election of Thomas Mulcair. (I’ll plan to return to the previou…

Having taken a bit of a hiatus during and after the NDP’s leadership campaign, I’ll resume looking back at what’s happened in the House of Commons starting with the election of Thomas Mulcair. (I’ll plan to return to the previous sitting later on.)Mond…

When I was in university I used to volunteer once a week at a nursing home in Montreal's East End. Sébastien used to play the piano and sing French songs, I would play the guitar, my lab Kerouac would lick them all to death. And we all had a hoot…

When I was in university I used to volunteer once a week at a nursing home in Montreal’s East End. Sébastien used to play the piano and sing French songs, I would play the guitar, my lab Kerouac would lick them all to death. And we all had…

Instead of raising the retirement age and distressing seniors with low-income the government should have prevented wealthier Canadians from receiving Old Age Security; not only would this have been fairer but would have saved hundereds of millions of…

At the 1:30 mark and onwards, Flaherty gives an answer on his OAS age eligibility increase that is receiving some attention tonight. Two callers to the CPAC call-in show that ended at 10:00 p.m. EST remarked on Flaherty’s comment being rude. In tone, t…

At the 1:30 mark and onwards, Flaherty gives an answer on his OAS age eligibility increase that is receiving some attention tonight. Two callers to the CPAC call-in show that ended at 10:00 p.m. EST remarked on Flaherty’s comment being rude. In …

An election campaign is upon us and that means that each day will be filled with announcements, attacks, ideas, stunts and mistakes. It makes for an interesting time as Albertans spend 4 weeks discussing a wide variety of public policy issues (in theor…

The Prime Minister surprised Canadians, including
his own caucus, when he proclaimed from the high perch of Davos that
Canadians’ pension system was about to change. After first denying what
he had said in Davos, it became clearer that the next budg…

When the Mount Pleasant Lions Club decided to raise the rents by 45 per cent at a housing complex for low-income seniors, they probably didn’t expect the tenants to fight back. But they did. And they won. Peter Driftmier spoke with resident Andy Lai a …

John Stapleton has an opinion piece out on Prime Minister Harper’s proposed changes to Old Age Security (OAS) and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS). I find the following quote from Stapleton to be particularly troubling: By providing OAS and GIS at age 65, Canada has greatly reduced the incidence of poverty among seniors. By moving the [...]

Stephen Harper says we can’t afford to finance our current pension payment. Yet a pension expert that Harper hired a couple of years ago says it’s sustainable and sound. The Parliamentary Budget Officer said the same thing last week. Monica Townson wri…

Oh.My.Gnome. I see that little Jimbo Flaherty has been totally HUMILIATED. Again. Just the other day he was telling Canadians don’t worry about your pensions if you’re over fifty-seven. But then the sinister operatives in the PMO heard wha…

Oh.My.Gnome. I see that little Jimbo Flaherty has been totally HUMILIATED. Again. Just the other day he was telling Canadians don’t worry about your pensions if you’re over fifty-seven.But then the sinister operatives in the PMO heard what he said. And…

There are few issues as close to our core
values as pensions.  We have universal
health care and its place as a core Canadian value is indisputable.  Our shared commitment to ensuring that
Canadians have the income support required to live ou…

Well even by Jimbo Flaherty’s ghastly standards it was a bizarre and ugly sight. There he was late this afternoon, looking like he wanted to hide under a chair, or in his case a small stool.Sweating profusely, talking in a hoarse whisper, and promising…

Well even by Jimbo Flaherty’s ghastly standards it was a bizarre and ugly sight. There he was late this afternoon, looking like he wanted to hide under a chair, or in his case a small stool. Sweating profusely, talking in a hoarse whisper, and p…