In a recent story from the Canadian Press, it appears that convicted murderer Clifford Olson is offering to turn over his pension cheques as donations to the Conservative's next election campaign.
Something seems a little odd here, and it is not that a scumbag like Olson would have the audacity to support the Conservatives but that this serial murderer is collecting old age pension cheques in the amount of $1,100 a month, not too mention that it costs taxpayers somewhere in the region of $50,000 to keep his sorry carcass in jail every year.
It may be, as Canadian Press puts it, another stunt by Olson, but this stunt brings to light the fact there are thousands of seniors incarcerated in Canadian jails collecting old age pension.
But why?
Why are people who have contributed nothing to society, and ruined dozens of lives entitled to $1,100 every month just because they have turned 65?
Stephen Harper's director of communications, Dimitri Soudas said the party "will not accept one penny from a reprehensible child killer."
But why not? Take the cheque and donate it to someone who needs it - maybe a food bank or an old folks home. But either way, take the money and give it to someone who deserves it, making no mention of where it came from.
Every day we hear about more people losing their jobs and others who cannot survive on their old age pensions, who are one step away from living on the street.
There are stories about longer lineups at St. Vincent de Paul and the Salvation Army for food and help each day.
In 1982, Olson confessed to killing 11 young men and women, some were as young as nine years old, and even after confessing to these murders, the RCMP made a deal to pay his family $100,000 in exchange for his help, which lead investigators to more bodies.
He must have been laughing then at the stupidity of the RCMP to make such a deal and no doubt he is smiling again every month as he opens his pension cheques.
Olson says he wants to donate these cheques to the Conservatives to draw attention to the fact the Conservatives have yet to make good on a March pledge to stop sending these cheques to jailed prisoners.
What a guy, what an upstanding member of society. For a brief moment you may be inclined to think this bastard actually had some principles.
However, the fact still remains that these criminals are collecting pension cheques every month, so in some small way crime actually does pay, but especially so in the case of Olson.
There needs to be no debate on the subject and it needs to be put into place as soon as possible that no further cheques will be made to seniors in jail.
Why they get the cheques in the first place boggles the mind. Their accommodation is free, their food is free, heat, hot water, TV, and personal security are all free. So why do they need $1,100 a month?
Unfortunately this stunt has caused Olson to get more ink than someone like him deserves, but regrettably it is not legal to leave a pack of hungry grizzly bears alone with Olson in his prison cell when his next pension cheque is delivered.
