Feb. 01, 2012 - Issue #850: Godot
Vuepoint
A lot to look forward to
No policy decision should ever be untouchable to debate. The third rail—the untouchable debate—can prevent honest conversation about necessary change or new ideas that could be implemented. Social programs under discussion by Conservative governments can create some obvious tension. Any time former premier Klein uttered the words, "health care" there was an electric undercurrent of fear that this is would be the moment health care would be taken from us all.
Of course there are methods by which politicians can signal they actually want to have a debate. Stephen Harper unfortunately has not sent this signal.
Announcing in a foreign country that your government is looking at changing the old-age pension system without ever having brought it up back home is the equivalent of breaking up with your boyfriend by telling his best friend first. It's not surprising that Canadians might be a little nervous with this sudden declaration. Of course trial balloons are not new in politics. They're handy ways to find out how the citizenry is feeling about an issue. And hopefully Harper's team has written down somewhere: "Canadians like old age security."
There are numerous reasons the opposition, and Canadians , should be upset. Any change to the pension system would create a fundemental change to the way Canadians plan their finances and their lives. Yet Harper made no mention of it during last year's election campaign. His reasoning for the changes is also a little fuzzy. It has something to do with the system being unsustainable, but as the opposition has pointed out, the government's own numbers refute the idea that Canada's demographics will add to an unsustainable federal pension system. According to the Globe and Mail, Ottawa requested Edward Whitehouse, a pension policy researcher with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, to study Canada's pension plan in relation to international standards. Whitehouse concluded: "The analysis suggests that Canada does not face major challenges of financial sustainability with its public pension schemes," and "there is no pressing financial or fiscal need to increase pension ages in the foreseeable future."
But this isn't the first time Harper's numbers haven't added up. The federal plan to expand Canada's prison system—at a cost of close to $4 billion—comes at a time when reported crime rates are on the decrease. But maybe we, as Canadians should take comfort that the Conservative government is investing in housing of some sort. As a young Canadian I can at least look forward to having a roof over my head in my old age behind bars.
More stories in front »
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