Harper government needs to improve, not attack retirement security

The New Brunswick Federation of Labour is calling on New Brunswick Members of Parliament to work to improve retirement benefits for working Canadians and to oppose any cuts to these benefits.

“Attacking Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement to poor seniors is the worst possible way to deal with retirement security in Canada. The right way is to expand the Canada Pension Plan now to raise incomes for seniors in the future,” says Michel Boudreau, President of the New Brunswick Federation of Labour. “If we commit now to doubling future CPP benefits, we can ensure that all Canadians can retire in dignity.”

For over the past year, the Canadian labour movement has been promoting improving the retirement benefits available to Canadians.

Pension experts say that pension income should equal 60% to 70% of previous earnings. When only a third of Canadians have access to a pension plan at work and few Canadians are able to set money aside for retirement through RRSPs, it makes sense that the solution lies in the public pension plan system. Canada’s Pension Plan (CPP) is cost effective, portable across jobs and provinces and indexed for inflation. Labour’s plan to address the looming retirement income crisis is to gradually increase employer and employee contributions into CPP, bringing benefits from the current 25% to 50% of pre-retirement income.

Recently, Prime Minister Harper said that this government plans to make changes to the retirement income system in Canada. Unfortunately these changes do not include improving CPP. Anticipated changes include cuts to the Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement programs.

“Our governments should be investing more, not less, in its most vulnerable citizens,” concludes Mr. Boudreau. “I find it sad that our governments are manufacturing a crisis to fit their program cutting agenda. Canadians deserve better.”

New Brunswick Federation of Labour President, Michel Boudreau, hand-delivered a letter to the following MP’s offices:

Moncton –Riverview-Dieppe MP’s office, Robert Goguen, on Feb. 9th at 10:00 a.m.
Fredericton MP’s office, Keith Ashfield, on Feb. 9th at 2:00 p.m.
Madawaska-Restigouche MP’s Office, Bernard Valcourt, on Feb. 10th at 9:00 a.m.

Letters were mailed to the remaining New Brunswick Members of Parliament, with a copy going to New Brunswick Premier, David Alward.