Marking 20 years
of bold journalism,
reader supported.
News
BC Politics

BC’s Delay in Formally Signing CPP Deal ‘Worrisome,’ Says NDP Critic

Deadline to ratify enhancements was July 15, but province starts consultations instead.

Jeremy Nuttall 15 Jul 2016TheTyee.ca

Jeremy J. Nuttall is The Tyee’s reader-funder Parliament Hill reporter in Ottawa. Find his previous stories here. Support his work here.

The British Columbia NDP finance critic says B.C.’s delay in formally signing on to agreed pension changes across Canada has her concerned the province is going to go back on its word.

On Friday, the B.C. Ministry of Finance announced on its website that it is launching engagement “with stakeholders” on proposed changes to the Canada Pension Plan.

But Friday is the same day the province was supposed to have confirmed its approval of the deal.

NDP MLA Carole James said Finance Minister Mike de Jong’s decision to ask for more time before going ahead with the agreement, struck in Vancouver last month, could be a sign that he is changing his mind.

“Is he being reluctant to take part?” James said. “The fact there was already a deadline there for July 15 and they haven’t met it is worrisome.”

Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau released a statement on Friday about the deal, noting that B.C. had not met the July 15 deadline to approve it. If B.C. doesn’t go ahead with the agreement, the rest of the country cannot.

“Since the Vancouver meeting all signatories have been working in good faith to confirm the approval of their respective Governments by July 15, a date chosen by consensus so that the work of implementing the enhancements could begin without delay,” said Morneau’s statement.

“While all other signatories will meet this target, the Province of British Columbia has indicated that it needs more time to do so.”

He said he still believes the agreement can be ratified with enough time for Ottawa to introduce legislation to make changes to the pension plan this autumn.

But James said she’s not as optimistic, and questions why the province didn’t do its consulting and engagement long before Friday’s deadline.

Prior to the agreement reached in Vancouver, the B.C. government was reluctant to agree to pension changes, with Minister de Jong saying the economy was too fragile for such measures.

That has James wondering what the foot-dragging from the BC Liberals could mean.

“Why weren’t they consulting over the last three weeks?” she asked. “It raises concerns because of the finance minister’s previous (position).”

The B.C. Ministry of Finance did not return a request for comment and interview on Friday.

The proposed changes to the pension plan, which would begin in 2019, would increase contributions from a person making $55,000 per year by about $7 a month. Employers would match that.

Entering retirement, the average Canadian would see about $4,300 more a year in pension cheques.  [Tyee]

Read more: BC Politics

  • Share:

Facts matter. Get The Tyee's in-depth journalism delivered to your inbox for free

Tyee Commenting Guidelines

Comments that violate guidelines risk being deleted, and violations may result in a temporary or permanent user ban. Maintain the spirit of good conversation to stay in the discussion.
*Please note The Tyee is not a forum for spreading misinformation about COVID-19, denying its existence or minimizing its risk to public health.

Do:

  • Be thoughtful about how your words may affect the communities you are addressing. Language matters
  • Challenge arguments, not commenters
  • Flag trolls and guideline violations
  • Treat all with respect and curiosity, learn from differences of opinion
  • Verify facts, debunk rumours, point out logical fallacies
  • Add context and background
  • Note typos and reporting blind spots
  • Stay on topic

Do not:

  • Use sexist, classist, racist, homophobic or transphobic language
  • Ridicule, misgender, bully, threaten, name call, troll or wish harm on others
  • Personally attack authors or contributors
  • Spread misinformation or perpetuate conspiracies
  • Libel, defame or publish falsehoods
  • Attempt to guess other commenters’ real-life identities
  • Post links without providing context

LATEST STORIES

The Barometer

Do You Think Trudeau Will Survive the Next Election?

Take this week's poll