Taxpayers Association calls for end to benefits for incarcerated criminals
Posted Apr 26, 2010 01:01:06 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Canadian Taxpayers Association has called for an end to old age security and income supplement benefits to criminals behind bars.
The head of the association has presented a 46,000 name petition to Human Resources Minister Diane Finley on Parliament Hill, as a response to reports that child murderer Clifford Olson receives $1,200 per month in Canada Pension Plan and old age security payments while behind bars.
Kevin Gaudet of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation told 680News the programs meant to help struggling seniors, amounts to approximately $14,000 a year per prisoner, and a total of $7 million for all prisoners over the age of 65.
“Prisoners who enjoy three square meals, room and board, TV, recreation and entertainment, don’t have any expenses because we’re already paying for them to be in jail, so we shouldn’t pay them twice by also giving them access to these programs”, he said.
Finley intends to have a bill ready in the coming weeks to go before Parliament in order to cancel the payments. However, until the bill has been passed, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation is pushing for more people to sign the online petition at taxpayer.com .
