Finance committee  I think this would be open to discussion. The previous legislation made that age 65. If it was earlier, I would have no argument with that, and I don't think any of our organizations would have an argument with that.

Finance committee  I'm not in a position to discuss the matter for the nineteen organizations, but that's the way we're positioned right now. It is based on the precedent that exists with family law; it's the same precedent that exists with CPP. If you ask my wife, who's in the audience right now, she'll probably tell you that she really earns 60% of my pension.

Finance committee  That's it exactly. It's a restitution at a certain age. If you want to argue that there has been discrimination all through their working life, I would not disagree with that, especially for my generation.

Finance committee  Yes.

Finance committee  I imagine you'd find the same principle that you have with CPP and QPP. And that's where we're lined up. With CPP, you can get a pension at 60. Hey, if you want to make it 55--

Finance committee  That's correct, but very few turn it down.

Finance committee  He should.

Finance committee  Thanks for that question. I'm not sure you should discriminate in that respect, but if you wanted to put a priority on it, then it should be based on the fact that today's working person or family has more facilities to split income than ever existed before. This household plan, for instance, was introduced in 1985.

Finance committee  First of all, we have said that and we do support it. But you argued this in 1999 before this committee, and it became entwined with the arguments I hear here about child care, only it was mixed in with the cost of commuting to work and there was no discussion about seniors.

Finance committee  Maybe I'm really alone now. If you look at these organizations, you'll find they represent all generations--predominantly seniors and pensioners, but all generations--because everyone has the right and the expectation to retire with some degree of confidence and security, when their time comes.

Finance committee  Thank you for the question. First of all, it follows that if you spend more time in the workforce, you've had more time to save and you have learned how to save, and if you've worked hard, it follows that you might have accumulated some degree of wealth. I don't think we should penalize people for doing that.

Finance committee  Good morning. My name is Dan Braniff. I'm representing SenTax here today, but I wear several hats. I'm also the chairman of the Georgian Bay chapter of CARP. There are 10,000 of us and about 400,000 in CARP, and I represent them here as well. I'm also the founder and past chairman of SenTax, but I'm most of all the representative or the liaison for nineteen organizations that have chosen pension splitting as their focal point and their issue.