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Budget forces seniors to work longer: MP

Burnaby New Westminster MP Peter Julian is criticizing the Conservatives for making changes to old age security and health care, following release of the federal budget Thursday.

Burnaby New Westminster MP Peter Julian is criticizing the Conservatives for making changes to old age security and health care, following release of the federal budget Thursday.

"Instead of choosing flawed F-35s (fighter jets), costly mega-prisons while the crime rate is going down, and breaking their electoral promise with reckless and unnecessary cuts to old age security, the Harper government should focus instead on the real priorities of Canadian families and work to improve public services, develop a jobs plan, strengthen pensions, and make life a little more affordable," said Julian, the NDP's finance critic.

Julian was referring to the federal government's plan to change the eligibility age for seniors' benefits - old age security and guaranteed income supplement - from 65 to 67. But, the Tories are saying it's a gradual change that won't start until 2013 and will be fully implemented by January 2029. Anyone who is 54 or older as of March 31, 2012 will not be affected.

Julian sees it as "forcing seniors to work two years longer to make ends meet."

"(The budget) also unilaterally changes the funding formula for federal health transfers, short-changing provinces by a whopping $31 billion, opening the door to privatization and two-tier health care," he said.

Conservative Heritage Minister James Moore was not available for immediate comment, nor was Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.

Other Tory budget highlights include cutting $5.2 billion in government departmental spending, elimination of the penny, and roughly 19,000 public sector jobs cut. The Conservatives plan to balance the budget by the 2015/16 fiscal year and have already paid down more than $37 billion in debt from 2006 to 2008.