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Letter: NDP MP critique

Editor:

In MP Alex Atamanenko’s recent householder, mailing paid for with tax dollars, there is a discussion about Old Age Security (OAS) payments. Bold print on its second page summarizes his point:

”Despite three years of economic turbulence,

the Harper government has raised OAS payments by a measly $1.50 a year.”

This statement is an absolute fabrication and totally wrong. The OAS payments are recalculated quarterly and increased according to the rate of inflation, but not reduced in the case of deflation. I am not aware of any change in the way the OAS increases have been handled under the Harper administration from previous governments. Bank records that I have show that the OAS payments in January from 2006 through 2010 were $484.63, $491.93, $502.31, $516.96 and $516.96 respectively. The final payment in 2010 (October through December) was $521.62. Further, the OAS website shows the January 2011 payment at $524.23. The insult is on the NDP and our MP for their complete lack of knowledge on the subject or rabid partisanship to mislead the Canadian public with the public’s money. I expect better from our elected representatives.

Alan Wait, Grand Forks