Does Olson Deserve Old Age Benefits?

(Aired on March 26, 2010)

Senior citizens trying to make do on a fixed income, eking out their pennies so they can buy groceries, or paying most of their pensions to live in an assisted-living facility must be wondering whether or not they should go out and kill someone so they can be like convicted child-killer Clifford Olson. Olson is 70 now, and has been in jail for many years after being convicted of killing 11 people in the early 80's. For the last few years, he's been quietly getting Old Age Security and the Assisted Living Supplement.

And the public is furious. Even Prime Minister Harper says it's wrong. If, however, the government wants to change Olson's status, they'll have to change the law. I can't find anywhere where it says prisoners can't collect the pension, and because he doesn't make any money languishing in prison, he also qualifies for the supplement. So if it takes a legal change to make it so, make it so, Mr. Prime Minister.

It's a joke that Olson can sit in prison at our expense, getting good meals, watching TV that we're paying for, and getting free medical and dental service. I don't think you can argue they're living the life of Reilly in prison, but I'm betting it's a better life than many of our seniors are facing, living in some dank apartment because it's all they can afford, or having to pay everything they make to an assisted living facility so they can live in some sort of comfort. And then there are the families of many seniors who make places in their own homes so their parents can enjoy their retirement years. While that's noble, and I would have done it in a heartbeat for either of my sets of parents, it's still a challenge, with very little service in the way of respite and in-home care.

And yet here is Clifford Olson taking thousands of dollars every year on top of what we're paying to keep him in prison.

If the government doesn't want to change the law to stop Olson from getting the pension, then at least make him pay a hefty portion to live in prison, just the same as we do for people who pay to live in a seniors home. Makes sense, doesn't it?