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PrimeTime Politics Weekend
February 3, 2012
Join Martin Stringer and his journalist guests: Bill Curry, reporter for The Globe and Mail, and Susan Lunn, parliamentary reporter for CBC Radio. They'll discuss: 1. Old Age Insecurity: Prime Minister Stephen Harper has kicked off a political firestorm by suggesting his government will bring in changes to the federal Old Age Security system. He says the changes - still unspecified - are still far off, and that no current OAS recipient will be affected, nor will anyone nearing retirement age. But the Prime Minister says changes are necessary to ensure the "long-term sustainability" of the OAS system. - Is the system approaching a crisis of sustainability? - How is this all playing out, politically? - How might the changes effect Canadians? 2. The Economy & the Budget: We saw new economic indicators this week. The deficit is dropping faster than the government had forecast. But in November the GDP declined by 0.1%, in January the national unemployment rate rose to 7.6% - suggesting economic growth is slowing or stalled. - What might it all mean for the government's budget plans? - What should we expect from the upcoming federal budget, expected in a matter of weeks? 3. China-Bound: Prime Minister Stephen Harper leaves Monday for a visit to China. What should we be watching for? Also, Martin speaks with Richard Shillington, a statistician and social policy analyst who has spent years studying government policies on taxation, income distribution, pensions, welfare and poverty. He conducted a study of the Old Age Security (OAS) system for the federal government's Department of Human Resources and Skills Development.