Pastor Allan Hunsperger in exile, as seen by the Wildrose Party’s leadership. Below: Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith (mean photo by Dave Cournoyer); the real Allan Hunsperger; party strategist Tom Flanagan; Wildrose House Leader Rob Anderson. Despite an amusing Pierre Poutine moment before it started, the Wildrose Party’s one-day annual general meeting in Edmonton yesterday seems …
Continue readingTag: canada pension plan
Alberta Diary: What kind of Canadian signs Jason Kenney’s petition for Jason Kenney? (Answer below)
“Gotta do something about those infernal refugees!” Some of Hon. Jason Kenney, PC, MP’s supporters get together for an evening of poker and political talk. Below: Riley Climenhaga. I recently received the following disturbing communication via email from someone named R.R. Climenhaga under the heading “Hon. Jason Kenney, PC, MP.”
Continue readingPaul S. Graham: Video: Can boycott, divestment and sanctions stop Israeli apartheid?
On July 9, 2005 , Palestinian civil society put out the call for an international campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions to compel the Israeli state to follow international law. Specifically, the signatories called on Israel to: End its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands occupied in June 1967
Continue readingStephen Harper and the triumph of ideology over reason
Why did he do it? Why did Stephen Harper suggest we had a public pension funding problem when we don’t? And why did he proclaim his concern at an international conference of all places? Let’s all repeat slowly: there … is … no … funding … problem … with …
Continue readingRandom Ranting Raving and Ratings: Harper Conservatives on Liberal’s Plan for OAS – 2004
Back in 2004, the Harper Conservatives accused the Paul Martin Liberals of having a “hidden agenda” to raise the age to qualify for the Old Age Security to 67. The Conservative Party of Canada had acquired the information on the Liberals through access to information. As far as I… ..
Continue readingRandom Ranting Raving and Ratings: NDP Move to Protect Old Age Security – Vote on Feb 6th
The NDP used the Opposition day in Parliament today to put forward a motion that the federal government not pay for its agenda on the backs of Canadian Seniors by raising the age at which they will qualify for Old Age Security (OAS). Several times NDP members put the question
Continue readingRandom Ranting Raving and Ratings: Getting it Wrong and Limiting Debate on Pensions
The first day of Parliament 2012 and the Conservatives are already strangling debate. As we have seen in previous years the Conservative MPs unable to speak for themselves got up and repeated the same old talking points… this time on Pooled Pensions. Watching the debate I could picture… ..
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 readingCowboys for Social Responsibility: When actions speak larger than words
Ten days ago, Prime Minister Stephen Harper was eagerly criticizing NDP leadership Thomas Mulcair over his French citizenship. The Prime Minister emphasized his Canada-first and always patriotism. In my case, as I say, I’m very clear. I’m a Canadian and only a Canadian.If the Prime Minister thinks that being Canadian
Continue readingRandom Ranting Raving and Ratings: Top Canadian CEOs making Average Canadian’s yearly salary by Noon, says study
By noon today, Canada’s top CEO’s will have made what most Canadians take an entire year to earn. The current Canadian Government is paying that same rate $90,000 per day to look at ways to eliminate public sector jobs. Jobs that the 99% depend on to provide services like food
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 readingRandom Ranting Raving and Ratings: Would you pay off your mortgage if it meant not feeding your kids?
Tweet !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=”//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js”;fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,”script”,”twitter-wjs”); [Service Canada workers] have been forbidden from giving… ..
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Pension Shell Game
Tom Walkom writes that the only real pension is a defined benefit pension — the kind of pension which allows you to know how much you will receive in retirement — like the Canada Pension Plan. For the past thirty years, private pensions have been disappearing, through company bankruptcies. Or
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On devolution
It remains to be seen exactly how much discussion of social policy will move from the federal level to the provincial one as Canadian civil society adjusts to a Harper majority. But I’m not sure a signal that the action is going to be at the provincial…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Parliament In Review: June 20, 2011
Yes, it’s tempting to Bruce Anderson’s conjecture about the NDP with a direct rebuttal. But I hardly see the need when the next day in Parliament to be reviewed offers an ideal example of the NDP standing up for its principles rather than merely positi…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Afternoon Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.- David Green nicely explains the basic choice to be made in determining what type of economy we want to pursue:(T)he basic tenet of the new policy regime – that any increase in wage costs kills jobs a…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Assorted content to start your week.- John Crocker points out that the need for secure and sufficient pensions is only made all the more obvious by the abject failure of policies intended to force Canadians to fend for themselves:According to Statistic…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On credibility gaps
Since I haven’t yet seen this story linked to the spin which seems to have made it necessary, let’s put two and two together.The professionals responsible for maintaining the solvency of the Canada Pension Plan have made it clear that the CPP is capabl…
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