Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Gentlemen, I want to thank you for being here. It is an honour to have you with us. I'm sure it goes without saying that we have a profound respect and admiration for those who wear the uniform and protect our country. In my personal case, I can tell you I have a profound respect for anyone who wears a uniform and puts his life at risk for the safety of others, and that includes my son-in-law, who's a municipal police officer. I've served on the police services board, and as vice-chair I had first-hand knowledge of the daily routine of those who put on uniforms and serve the public. My father was a firefighter through the 1950s and 1960s, and he risked his life many times in service to others.
When it all boils down, there's no pleasure in dealing with issues like this with people we so strongly respect and support. Frankly, there isn't. The one witness we heard through Mr. Hawnsaid something that resonates with me. He said that, in all honesty, this pension plan is not stacked but blended. The CF and RCMP pension plans are fair and generous in comparison with other pensions. The PSSA and other federal pension plans, provincial pension plans, most teacher plans, and many others are set up in exactly the same way. My daughter's a teacher, I know something about the teachers' plans. To the best of my knowledge, there are no organized campaigns by members of these other pension plans claiming that they are unfair.
Could you help me understand why these plans are fair and the CF and RCMP plans are unfair?