Archive for the ‘Ontario PC Party’ Category

Not in our stars

- March 1st, 2012

On Thursday the Ottawa Sun editorialized that “Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty is an idiot” based, most recently, on his Monday refusal to endorse the Keystone pipeline because if only Alberta’s energy sector were not booming Canada would have a cheaper dollar. It is hard to take issue with their characterization given the economic stupidity of this remark. And his followup statement to journalists Wednesday “I think I should clarify. It can be difficult in this kind of context here to convey exactly what you say. I work in real time. So sometimes I might not self-edit before I go to press so to speak, unlike the luxury you good people may enjoy.”

Read more…

NDP, pensions and a Mike Harris “buyout bonanza”

- January 25th, 2012

Interim NDP Leader  Nycole Turmel told party faithful Wednesday that Prime Minister Stephen Harper was spending too much time looking to slash MP pensions.

“Stephen Harper has his priorities wrong. He thinks the most pressing issue is MP pensions. Not the retirement security of millions of Canadians. You know, maybe it’s because I’m a long, long way from having an MP pension. Yes. But I came here to fight for better pensions for all Canadians.”

As a former public servant and union leader , she undoubtedly has access to a decent pension, but is indeed over five years from getting an MP pension -  and there is no doubt millions of Canadians workers (roughly 12 million according to Statistic Canada) have no workplace pension.

Recent  C.D. Howe reports also warn about funding shortfall in public sector pensions – so not everything is rosy on that end either.

But despite Turmel’s speech,  the NDP party has been hesitantly open to reforming MP pensions, calling on an independent panel or outside body to review the current pension plan enjoyed by parliamentarians.

Last week, NDP MP Joe Comartin cautioned, however, that reforming political pensions may be popular with the taxpayer but didn’t always save them much cash off the bat.

That was one of the complaints in 1993, when Alberta premier Ralph Klein phased out MLA pensions in that province.  (In 2001, Klein turned around and implemented severance packages  – 1 year’s pay for every four years service – criticized by low tax advocates as far too generous)

Comartin referred to pricey compensation packages paid out under  former Ontario premier Mike Harris when he reformed MPP pensions in 1996. All told the ‘present value’ compensation packages ended up costing $109 million.

Here’s what was dug up from the database with the help of the Toronto Sun’s Christina Blizzard. 

Here’s one of her columns from that time period below.

Last week was strange and, in the long run, one of the most damaging seven-day stretches the 2 1/2-year-old Tory government has endured.


It isn’t so much the labor legislation flip-flop or the showdown with teachers that has the potential to inflict deep and enduring scars. In the end, it may be the self-inflicted wounds that will cause the most pain for the Tories.


First, there was the story of the great MPP pension buyout bonanza. The Sun’s Jeff Harder reported that 300 MPPs, past and present, were handed hundreds of thousands of dollars in settlements in a $109-million pension benefits buyout. Premier Mike Harris and Finance Minister Ernie Eves received $850,000 and about $800,000 respectively and all MPPs elected before 1982, past and present, have been handsomely paid off in this all-party feeding frenzy.

Sure, if you’ve paid into a pension plan you certainly should be entitled to receive the benefits. But these figures are ludicrous. Handing politicians cheques, some well in excess of half a million dollars at a time when we are slashing Wheel Trans subsidies and welfare payments is obscene.

The rest of us have just received the unwelcome news that we’ll have to fork out over $1,000 a year more to pull the Canada Pension Plan back from the edge of insolvency. Most young people don’t believe they’ll ever see anything back from CPP anyway, and are furiously saving for their retirement. Why can’t politicians do likewise?

What’s most distressing, however, is that Harris promised his would be a different type of government. It would be open and accountable and do away with gold-plated pensions.

Watching politicians feather their own nests is gross at the best of times. But when hospitals are being closed, when parents are fearful for their kids’ education, when university students are facing tuition hikes, it is revolting.

 

 

Hudak arrives at PC convention in Ottawa

- March 6th, 2010

duffy
Mike Duffy and Ont. PC Leader Tim Hudak in a mock-interview Sunday at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa.

Duffy asked Hudak to talk about his childhood and sent him softball questions about the HST while mocking Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty and left-wingers. Duffy also asked Hudak to name his favourite word (“Miller” — his daughter); swear word (“Liberal”); turn on (“My wife”); and turn offs (“chick flicks”).

Hudak arrives at party convention
Hudak arrives with nearly every young PC delegate behind him.