Mr. Speaker, the action taken jointly by the federal government and a majority of provinces to put the Canada pension plan on a sound footing is an example of responsible leadership.
It may have been politically expedient to delay, but that would not be in the best interests of Canadians young or old. Delaying the decision would have resulted in a bigger bill down the road.
In fact, it is precisely because previous governments failed to act that we find ourselves in this situation today. It is precisely to make the plan affordable and sustainable, for generations, now and in the future, that we are acting right now.
Those who attempt to score political points by preying on people's fears should come clean with Canadians and tell them what their own plan is, and that is to dismantle the CPP. It is also irresponsible to try to make this an intergenerational battle.
Canadians believe in the CPP. They want it preserved as a public pension plan and that is what we are doing. That is political leadership.