Government urged to drop pension reform plans - T. Easterbrook
Unilateral action
Former employees say they were not consulted about changes to their pensions
By TONY EASTERBROOK Commentary
I'm retired and in receipt of a Public Service Superannuation Plan (PSSA) pension, towards which I had made regular and mandatory contributions throughout my working years.
The New Brunswick government is resolved to break that pension contract, despite its legislated mandate as trustee and guarantor to administer it in the best interests of its beneficiaries, as opposed to superseding that obligation with, in my opinion a short-sighted, and poorly-planned agenda.
Green Party Calls for Royal Commission on Retirement Income / Le Parti vert demande une commission royale sur les revenus de retraite
(version français suivra)
Fredericton -At a news conference this morning, the Green Party called for the Alward government to establish a Royal Commission on Retirement Income to examine the state of retirement income in both the public and private sectors. "The first duty of pension trustees, such as the Province, is to the beneficiaries of that trust" said Norman Laverty, the Green Party's advocate for economic and social development, and a former Superintendent of Pensions for the Government of New Brunswick. " The Province intends to violate its role as trustee by abandoning retroactively its commitments to pensioners in the public sector. It's unacceptable," said Laverty.
PENSION REFORM: THE RIGHT WAY
BRIAN GALLANT - Liberal Leader NB
There is a right way to do things, and a wrong way. Unfortunately, on the issue of pension reform, the Alward government has chosen the latter.
Retired public servants are turning out in the thousands to meetings where the new shared risk pension model is being discussed. They are angry about the lack of information, the lack of meaningful consultation and the manner in which it was presented.