General

Layton announces key election platform

NDP will raise pension benefits and guaranteed income supplement

NDP Leader Jack Layton announced on Monday that he would double the amount seniors could get from the Canada Pension Plan and Quebec Pension Plan, and would invest $700-million more into the guaranteed income supplement if he’s elected prime minister. Layton would pay for the increased pension benefits by having companies pay 9 cents per hour more for each employee, saying the costs are “something that can be absorbed,” while workers would pay about $3 a week more to allow for the pension benefit increase. Fighting the trend towards an increasingly bi-partisan race between the Conservatives and the Liberals, Layton tried to differentiate himself from his rivals by raising the issue of who Canadians trust more to fight for families. “The New Democrat pension plan is practice, it’s affordable, and it will give an immediate boost to the retirement security of Canadian families,” he said.

CBC News

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