TORONTO: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today applauded the Harper government for passing into law provisions banning prisoners like Clifford Olson from receiving Old Age Security (OAS) and Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) entitlements while in jail. CTF Federal Director Kevin Gaudet said, “the Harper government and Minister Finley moved quickly with support of opposition parties to end this injustice and deserve credit for that”.
In late March Peter Worthington of the Toronto Sun revealed that serial child murderer Clifford Olson was receiving $1,169 per month in OAS and GIS payments courtesy of the Canadian taxpayer. In response the CTF launched a petition campaign to oppose such payments for prisoners. In only six weeks the petition gained over 46,000 signatures. The CTF delivered the petition to Parliament Hill and Human Resources Minister Diane Finley who committed to bringing in a law ending the entitlement payments for prisoners. The CTF also appeared as a witness at the House of Commons and Senate committees which reviewed the bill. The CTF appeared alongside Sharon Rosenfeld co-founder of Victims of Violence and mother of one of Olson’s victims, who also deserves credit for her work on the bill.
Today the bill will receive royal assent. Effective January 1st, 2012 federal prisoners will no longer receive OAS and GIS.
So far British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Newfoundland have signed on to the plan meaning their provincial prisoners will also not get such entitlements. Not yet having signed on are Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI.
Gaudet concluded, “OAS and GIS were meant to help seniors make ends meet not line the pockets of prisoners. Canadians should be please with how well all parties worked to make this bill a law”.
