What is Bill C-428
What is Bill C-428, and is it good for new Immigrants, well currently Canadians who have had a 10-year residency in Canada after the age of 18 can receive the Old Age Security (OAS) at the age of 65. Bill C-428 which is introduced by Liberal Dr. Ruby Dhalla that would, if passed, allow immigrants to receive the Old Age Security benefits just after three years being in Canada.
According to some Dhalla’s bill may cost taxpayers over $700 million and this would render the proposal very costly.
Different view points have arisen out of this Bill and where some think that this will help immigrants on one part, but certainly this is not fair to Canadians who have lived and worked here for many years.
Those who oppose this proposed Bill feel that only in Canada, government care more for other people than its own citizens.
Dhalla’s proposed Bill will help immigrant parents in their 60′s who migrated to Canada with their younger children and have no support from their home government and new country. This will facilitate new Canadians as well as protect seniors already getting this benefit.
No doubt there are many lifelong senior citizens living near poverty who have come from third world countries and with this proposed Bill they could use more assistance.
The Conservative Government publically criticized member of Parliament Ruby Dhalla’s (of the Brampton-Springdale riding in Ontario) recently proposed a private member’s bill. Majority of immigrants support Liberal proposal and seem very happy that this will allow elderly immigrants to qualify for the Canada Pension Plan after just three years in the country.