"Good Bye Charlie Brown"
"Intergenerational tension has yet to erupt into open warfare in Canada, but politicians are keenly aware of the dangers of segmenting the electorate into warring age cohorts. Mention the name Solange Denis in Ottawa, and finance department officials are likely to wince. She is the feisty senior who ambushed Brian Mulroney on Parliament Hill in 1985 and berated him for trying to cut pension benefits after he had promised not to touch them. Mulroney promptly backed away from the cuts. One result was that in ensuing years seniors suffered fewer cuts to social programs than other groups, particularly children and single-parent families.
Eleven years later, Martin took the trouble to stage a photo opportunity with Denis so reporters could record her nod of approval for the way he was handling pension cuts. He had to show that a fiscally responsible government could also be compassionate."
Intergenerational Warfare
-Harper's Old Age Pension Cuts Unnecessary
