Dear Editor:
Earlier this week the Harper government nixed the idea of enhancing the Canada Pension Plan, a move that a majority of provincial governments regard as crucial to future retirees. Predictably, B.C. Finance Minister Mike de Jong lined up with the feds and parroted MP Jim Flaherty's mantra about the economy being too "fragile" to accommodate the change.
So, if that's true, the plan must be to identify the non-fragile economic conditions that would allow enhancement to proceed, right? Wrong. Apparently the matter of identifying future economic triggers that would allow an improved Canada Pension Plan has also been nixed by the federal government. In de Jong's words "the subject is closed."
The fact of the matter is that employers in Canada don't want to contribute more to the Canada Pension Plan, not even the very modest amount phased in over several years supported by several provinces. And, of course, financial institutions would rather have our retirement savings in RRSPs and pension funds so they can collect those outrageous administrative fees they charge.
Should we be surprised that the federal Conservatives opted to allow corporate interests trump public interests? Should we be shocked that once again the B.C. Liberals have failed to speak up in support of the people of this province? No, of course not. It's happened before. It will happen again.
That's the thing about Grinches. Their behaviour is predictable.
Bill Brassington, Burnaby
