Pooled pension consensus reached

Finance Minister Flaherty continues talks with his provincial counterparts in Kananaskis in Alberta. Flaherty says he won't support any CPP expansion because not all provinces are on board, despite the plan being strongly supported by six provinces.

Instead Flaherty says he and his provincial and territorial counterparts have agreed to create a pooled private pension plan for small businesses, employees and the self-employed. The pooled pension plan "will make well-regulated, low-cost, private-sector pension plans accessible to millions of Canadians who have up to now not had access to such plans," he said.

Read more on CBC News:
Flaherty: Pooled pension consensus reached

Boomers put health at top of retirement priorities

From CTV News

"The first of the baby boomers hit the official age of retirement in 2011 and many are wondering whether they’ve saved enough, according to RBC’s most recent RRSP poll. But this cohort is dedicating as much thought to their medical files as to their portfolios. Health and wealth are closely connected for the generation on track to live longer, healthier lives than any generation before."

Read more:
CTV News Boomers put health at top of retirement priorities

Harper Government Kills Bill C311 and Funding For Canadian Climate Research

The most anti-science Prime Minister this country has ever had has not only killed Bill C311, but Harper has also cut funding for the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences.

From the Vancouver Sun:
"The budget crunch at the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences comes on the heels of revelations that the government is leasing out the coast guard breaker CCGS Amundsen – Canada’s most advanced research ship for the study of climate change – to none other than BP and Imperial Oil so they could study the impact of drilling in the delicate Arctic ecosystem."

Harper got the Liberal dominated Senate to kill  bill C311, something virtually unheard of in this country after MPs had voted overwhelmingly in favour of the bill and it had passed second reading! Once again Harper thwarts democracy in order to further his own agenda: promoting his home province's oil industry.

This comes just before the UN Climate talks in Cancun! I'm ashamed to be a Canadian - once again Canada has been awarded the "Fossil of the Day" award for lack of action on climate change.

Read more: Harper Government Ends Funding for Climate Research Organization
Read more: Harper Government Kills Funding