Immigrants to get pensions after just 3 years?

The sponsors of the immigrants should be paying for Grandma who they brought over to be a free baby-sitter, not the Canadian taxpayer. The family-class immigrants that come over here are often elderly and have not payed any taxes in Canada. Because they are old, they are more of a strain on our system of free healthcare. A system they have never paid into.

Bring over your granny, but pay for her yourself.

Ruby is losing and desperate to hold her riding and this sort of "hail mary" bill, one she knows has no chance, is her pretending to stand up for all those immigrant votes. It's a sad and transparant election promise that she knows won't come true.

What does this mean? That if a country has a deal with Canada their citizens only have to work three years to get OAS and all other immigrants have to work ten years? Even if it is reciprocal Canada is the loser. Poles want to come here. How many Canucks want to live in Poland?

Pension and OAS is not the same. Pension is what you get when you paid into that for all the years you worked (as in private plan), OAS is a government thing (that you pay into anyway), regardless if you work or not.
Who cares what another country does with it. It's up to the immigrant to get shit like that sorted out. You can (well, I can) choose to pay into my OAS in Holland so I won't lose the 2% I build every year, since I was 15. I chose not to, when I left. I still get 37% when I turn 65.

You are correct I should have referred to "residency" not "work"

This is propaganda at its best.. supposedly she put forth a suggestion in the House to reduce the time period from 10 to 3yrs.. it would have to be voted on and have to pass the senate.. which is unlikely. but its another good piece of rhetoric the torys can publish all over the net to give the right wing fodder. OMG the sky is falling... ain't like the immigrants are not cashing in already eh?

And hate to tell you there ridenrain but ruby is as strong as ever in her riding.. polls show that if there was an election to-day she would be re-elected with a huge number of votes... wishful thinking on your part though...

About the Old Age Security pension

1. What is the Old Age Security pension?

The Old Age Security pension is a monthly payment available to most Canadians aged 65 or older. You must apply to receive benefits. If you meet the eligibility requirements explained below, you may be entitled to receive the Old Age Security pension even if you are still working or have never worked.

2. Who can receive the Old Age Security pension?

We look at two things to determine if you can receive the Old Age Security pension: your age and your years of residence in Canada.

If you fall into either of the categories below, you may be eligible to receive the Old Age Security pension.

Category 1 - People living in Canada

You are 65 or older.
You live in Canada and are a Canadian citizen or a legal resident at the time your pension is approved.
You lived in Canada for at least 10 years after reaching age 18.
Category 2 - People living outside Canada

You are 65 or older.
You left the country and you were a Canadian citizen or a legal resident of Canada when you left.
You lived in Canada for at least 20 years after reaching age 18.

If they want to change anything it should be .. one must be a citizen and the other would be once you leave the country to live some place else... its stopped..

Come on ken, this just isn't fair that some old geezer from another country can get a pension after 3 years here. Add that in with the strain this old-geezer will put on a health-care system that they have never paid in to and it's offering something we don't have the infrastructure to deliver.

I know you like to take an opposing view on anything ridenrain posts but let's use some common sense here.

Does Ruby want her abused house-maids to get pensions in three years? She is as mercenary as it gets.

I wonder if Ruby and Iggy could get together and make it so you could go on EI for those 3 years and then get your pension. I'm sure even Jack Layton could get behind that.

Why? You paid into it the years you worked. Once you leave the country, you don't pay anymore, but the years you paid, you should get paid for that.

If you lived in Canada for 25 years, and you worked all those years, and you move back to your country of origin, (Or whereever for that matter), why wouldn't you get paid OAS after you are 65? Of course not the full amount, but a percentage, calculated over the years you have paid.

That is pretty common, and imo, not bad at all. As an immigrant (an adult immigrant) you already lose 10 years (=20%).

Should Quebec pensioners lose their pensions when they leave Quebec?

Remember, this is a private members bill so it's not fair to slag Iggy with it. Ruby is the Queen of the Immigrants and if she can offer something like OAS after three years she could look like a hero.