Conservatives hide costs behind Old Age Security

Tuesday, May 01, 2021

Source :  Hansard

　 House of Commons Debates  

OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD)

Tuesday, May 1, 2021

Mr. Speaker, yesterday evening, we asked the government how much money it was going to save as a result of the proposed change to the old age security program. The government is refusing to give us that information and is saying that the chief actuary will give members the information after the budget implementation bill is passed and not before.  

Why is the government hiding this information about old age security? Canadians have the right to know.

Hon. Scott Brison (Kings—Hants, Lib.): 

Mr. Speaker, that is still no answer. Under the law, the government must tell MPs how much a bill will cost before a vote. Last year, the Conservatives were found in contempt of Parliament because they failed to do that and now they are doing it again.  Canadians know how much the changes in OAS will cost them personally.

Why will the Conservatives not say how much the OAS changes will save the treasury? Is it because the numbers show that the experts are right, that there is no sustainability problem with OAS as it stands now and that we do not need to increase the age to 67?