NDP proposes fixing flawed Liberal bill on CPP

OTTAWA — The NDP announced they will be introducing amendments to the Liberal legislation on enhancements to the Canada Pension Plan in order to fix a provision that penalizes women and people living with disabilities.

“We have been calling on the Liberals, to immediately recognize their mistake and take action to fix it but so far the Minister refuses to even acknowledge the problem,” said NDP Pensions Critic Scott Duvall. “Seeing nothing from the Liberals, we will be proposing to fix the bill ourselves.”

The Liberal legislation on CPP expansion, Bill C-26, does not contain the Child Rearing Drop-out Provision, which already exists in the current CPP so that parents, mostly women, are not penalized for time taken out of the workforce to raise children. The Liberal bill also fails to replicate a similar existing drop out provision for people that have received CPP disability benefits.

“This Prime Minister likes to call himself a feminist but when we pointed out that their legislation penalizes women, they suddenly have nothing to say,” said NDP Status of Women Critic Sheila Malcolmson. “The Liberal government should immediately agree to our proposal and live up to their feminist rhetoric.”

The Finance Committee will consider the NDP amendment next week.