Ottawa - Cathy McLeod, Member of Parliament for Kamloops -Thompson - Cariboo, questioned Diane Finley, Human Resources and Skills Development Minister during Question Period today, regarding the details of amending the Old Age Security benefits to convicted criminals.

“The Prime Minister and our Government were outraged when we discovered that prisoners like child killer Clifford Olson received tax payer funded seniors’ benefits. We committed to taking action to end this practice, and today we introduced the Eliminating Entitlements for Prisoners Act,” said McLeod.

The Old Age Security (OAS) program is funded through general tax revenues and is designed to help seniors meet their immediate, basic needs in retirement. Since an inmate’s basic needs, such as food and shelter, are already met and paid by public funds, there is no reason for Canadian taxpayers to also fund income support for inmates through OAS benefits.

“By ending government benefits for prisoners who have committed serious crimes, we are working to ensure fairness for those Canadians who have spent their lives working hard and playing by the rules,” stated McLeod.

Implementation will begin with inmates who are incarcerated in federal penitentiaries for two years or more. The government will also work with the provinces and territories to continue implementation in their institutions for inmates over 65 serving sentences greater than 90 days.

The changes are expected to affect about 400 federal inmates, with a savings of about $2 million per year. The benefits would resume upon a prisoner’s release, and spouses and common-law partners of inmates will continue to get the benefits on their own merits.

“It was absolutely outrageous for someone like Clifford Olson, who is serving life in prison for the deaths of 11 children, to be collecting more than $1000 a month in benefits.  It was deeply insulting to the families of the victims,” concluded McLeod.