Thursday October 29, 2015

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By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Thursday October 29, 2015 Justin Trudeau has begun repaying Premier Kathleen Wynne for helping him become prime minister. Upon being sworn in to succeed Prime Minister Stephen Harper next Wednesday, Trudeau will reverse his predecessorÕs attempt to derail the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan. That announcement came after a 30-minute meeting Tuesday at QueenÕs Park between the two leaders. ÒWe made progress on our mutual commitment to build greater retirement security for Ontarians and Canadians,Ó said Zita Astravas, WynneÕs director of media relations. ÒOnce it takes office, the incoming federal government will direct the Canada Revenue Agency and the departments of finance and national revenue to work with Ontario officials on the registration and administration of the . . . ORPP,Ó said Astravas. ÒThis would be the same assistance with pension administration that the federal government has extended in the past to Quebec and Saskatchewan. The ORPP is being designed to integrate with any future CPP enhancement,Ó she said, referring to the Canada Pension Plan. Finance Minister Joe Oliver said in July that Ottawa would not provide administrative support for WynneÕs retirement scheme because the Conservatives felt it would Òtake money from workers and their families, kill jobs and damage the economy.Ó ÒAdministration of the ORPP will be the sole responsibility of the Ontario government, including the collection of contributions and any required information,Ó Oliver, who lost his Eglinton-Lawrence seat on Oct. 19, said at the time. During the campaign, Harper boasted that he was ÒdelightedÓ to hinder the Ontario plan, which launches in 2017. ÒKathleen Wynne is mad that I wonÕt help her do that . . . . YouÕre bloody right. The Conservative government is not going to help bring in that kind of tax hike.Ó Wynne created the Ontario plan after Harper refused to bolster CPP, which pays out a maximum ben

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday October 29, 2015

Justin Trudeau delivers help for Kathleen Wynne’s Ontario pension plan

Justin Trudeau has begun repaying Premier Kathleen Wynne for helping him become prime minister.

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Wednesday October 22, 2015 Justin Trudeau owes Kathleen Wynne after election win Endorse early, endorse often. ThatÕs how Kathleen Wynne turned the old political joke (ÒVote early, vote oftenÓ) on its head. Except she wasnÕt fooling around. Long before Canadians settled on Justin Trudeau, well before any prime ministerial honeymoon, OntarioÕs premier was an early adopter. And an enthusiastic endorser. She showed him political love when he was running last, and showered him with praise when he was pulling ahead. Wynne went out on a limb by placing a big bet on the Liberal leader when few others saw his growth potential. Wynne cheered him on, early on, at a Regent Park rally with a passion that seemed unseemly to critics. And she badmouthed NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair in an un-premier-like way when he was still well-placed to win the election. The investment was not only personal but political Ñ Wynne didnÕt just stick out her own neck, she loaned out much of her provincial electoral machine: The vast majority of campaign managers for federal Liberal candidates emanated from the partyÕs provincial wing. Now, the gamble has paid off. Wynne is the bearer of a monumental IOU. So too are the Ontarians who voted massively for Trudeau at her behest. They are counting on her to collect in full on their behalf, and fully expecting his new government to deliver. How big is that political debt? About $11 billion big, if you count the amount that Ottawa collects annually from Ontario taxpayers for distribution everywhere else through equalization and other social transfers for health and education. But that fiscal imbalance, long an irritant at QueenÕs Park, wonÕt evaporate overnight. Ontarians have swung massively behind the federal Liberals in the past, only to be taken for granted when it came time for Ottawa to give the countryÕs biggest province its due. Former prime minister Jean ChrŽtien won virtua

Upon being sworn in to succeed Prime Minister Stephen Harper next Wednesday, Trudeau will reverse his predecessor’s attempt to derail the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan.

That announcement came after a 30-minute meeting Tuesday at Queen’s Park between the two leaders.

“We made progress on our mutual commitment to build greater retirement security for Ontarians and Canadians,” said Zita Astravas, Wynne’s director of media relations.

“Once it takes office, the incoming federal government will direct the Canada Revenue Agency and the departments of finance and national revenue to work with Ontario officials on the registration and administration of the . . . ORPP,” said Astravas.

Tuesday November 25, 2014“This would be the same assistance with pension administration that the federal government has extended in the past to Quebec and Saskatchewan. The ORPP is being designed to integrate with any future CPP enhancement,” she said, referring to the Canada Pension Plan.

Finance Minister Joe Oliver said in July that Ottawa would not provide administrative support for Wynne’s retirement scheme because the Conservatives felt it would “take money from workers and their families, kill jobs and damage the economy.”

Thursday January 22, 2015“Administration of the ORPP will be the sole responsibility of the Ontario government, including the collection of contributions and any required information,” Oliver, who lost his Eglinton-Lawrence seat on Oct. 19, said at the time.

During the campaign, Harper boasted that he was “delighted” to hinder the Ontario plan, which launches in 2017.

“Kathleen Wynne is mad that I won’t help her do that . . . . You’re bloody right. The Conservative government is not going to help bring in that kind of tax hike.”

Wynne created the Ontario plan after Harper refused to bolster CPP, which pays out a maximum benefit of little more than $12,000 annually.

Trudeau received a hero’s welcome at Queen’s Park as he arrived to thank Wynne for her help in winning power. (Source: Toronto Star)

One play by play of the meeting courtesy of the National Post.

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