Kelly McParland, Full Comment Canadian politics

There's been some web traffic on a Liberal proposal to allow elderly immigrants to qualify for the Canada Pension Plan after just three years in the country. It's usually accompanied by a video of Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla introducing the proposal last spring, seconded by Bob Rae. People, especially pensioners, are upset that immigrants should get access so quickly, having never paid into the system like the rest of us.

The only problem with the issue is that there's nothing to it. Dhalla did introduce a private member's bill, Bill C-428, but it relates only to the  Old Age Security program, and does not change any of the rules regarding access to the Canada Pension Plan.