Statement made on 16 November 2010 by Senator Claudette Tardif
Hon. Claudette Tardif (Deputy Leader of the Opposition):
Honourable senators, I recently received a touching and heartfelt letter from Ms. Jackie Bodie of Calgary. Ms. Bodie, a 41-year-old mother of two young boys, started paying for disability insurance through Nortel 18 years ago. She wrote:
. . . my intention — for paying for disability insurance — was to ensure that I would have the means to provide the basic necessities of life for myself and my family if I could no longer work for a living. In my mind, LTD insurance was a contingency plan that I hoped I'd never have to fall back on.
Unfortunately, Ms. Bodie was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at the age of 33, and in 2005, at the age of 36, went on long-term disability. Her long-term disability income and benefit plan offered by Nortel expires on December 31 of this year.
Time is running out. Only 45 days remain to take the necessary action. What is the government's plan to ensure that Nortel's long-term disability beneficiaries, like Ms. Bodie, have the funds necessary for the continuation of their benefits beyond December 31?
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