Changes to OAS a mistake, poll says

Canadians are not happy with the Conservative government’s decision to increase the age of eligibility for Old Age Security, says a new poll.

The online survey of 1,060 adult Canadians by Angus Reid Public Opinion for the Star on the federal budget found that 57 per cent felt the age increase from 65 to 67, which is not to take effect for 11 years, was a “bad idea.”

“The most contentious idea in the budget is a plan to increase the eligibility age for Old Age Security (OAS) . . . ,” say the authors of the survey.

“While a third of Canadians, or 32 per cent, think this is a good idea, almost three in five, or 57 per cent, believe it is not the right course of action.”

Quebecers were particularly dismayed by the changes to OAS, with 71 per cent stating categorically it is a bad idea along with 64 per cent of Atlantic Canada and 54 per cent of Ontarians.

And 67 per cent of Canadians between the ages of 35 and 54, who will be directly impacted by the age change, also voiced their disappointment.

Ottawa will start making the adjustments to OAS in 2023, and phase them in gradually over six years. That means anyone over 54 won’t be affected, while people in their early 50s will see moderate changes and Canadians under 50 will be directly impacted.

As for the budget generally, Canadians are split on whether it will be good for the country.

The poll found that 30 per cent of those surveyed expect the austerity budget will have a positive impact while 33 per cent said it will have a negative impact on Canada.

Meanwhile, 41 per cent said the federal budget won’t be good for their province, including 43 per cent of Ontarians, 47 per cent of Atlantic Canada residents and 56 per cent of Quebecers.

Popular items in the budget for Canadians include requiring charities to provide more information on their political activities as well as their funding by foreign sources (80 per cent), increasing the amount of goods Canadians can bring home tax and duty free after travelling to other countries (70 per cent), and the scrapping of the penny and rounding cash transactions to the nearest five-cent increment (68 per cent).

A majority of Canadians, 61 per cent, favoured trimming government program spending by $5.2 billion in the next three years, 57 per cent agreed with eliminating 19,200 public service jobs by 2015, 55 per cent supported creating an advisory council to promote women on corporate boards, and 51 per cent endorsed slashing the CBC’S budget by 10 per cent, or $115 million.