 In 1982, Clifford Olson was sentenced to 11 consecutive 25-year sentences for the murders of 11 young people in British Columbia.
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Every month, the most notorious child killer in the country gets $1,169.47 transferred to a trust account in his name.
Though he will likely die in jail, where he has no living expenses and where the average annual taxpayer cost of keeping a maximum security male incarcerated was $121,294 in 2006-07 — the most recent statistics on Corrections Canada’s website — Clifford Robert Olson is a Canadian, over 65 — he turned 70 on New Year’s Day — and eligible for a pension.
As a federal inmate who has spent much of his time in segregation since he was admitted into federal custody Feb. 17, 1982, Olson likely has little income to claim, which explains why he was approved for not only the Old Age Security (OAS) pension and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), but the maximum monthly benefits for both — $516.96 and $652.51 respectively.
It is a reminder that, criminal as he may be, having killed at least 11 boys and girls, Olson still has his rights as a Canadian, whether you agree with it or not.
Kevin Gaudet does not.
“I think that OAS is very similar to a welfare program and I don’t think prisoners should be getting welfare under any name so no, he shouldn’t be getting this kind of cash,” said Gaudet, federal and Ontario director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “Cut him off.”
A Service Canada letter sent to Olson, who in turn sent it to Sun columnist Peter Worthington, shows he was approved for GIS in 2006 and received his first payment, retroactive to 2005, of $7,735.41.
As the price of living on the outside world went up, so too did Olson’s payments.
In 2006, the serial killer was paid $8,716.59 and in 2008, he received $6,082.23, his tax forms show.
Based on his income from 2008, he was notified in a letter from Service Canada that he was approved for GIS from July 2009 to June 2010.
Victim advocate Joe Wamback said he has no problem with “the pension issue,” adding, “In the scheme of things, it’s just so insignificant,” he said.
“Whether we like it or not, whether we feel that his crimes were so horrific that his punishment should be everlasting — and we hope it will be everlasting — he’s still a citizen of this country and he’s till subject to the same rights that we all are,” said Wamback, chairman of the Canadian Crime Victim Foundation.
“So do I have a problem with him getting $1,100 a month Old Age Security and pension supplements? No,” he said.
“We can’t be selective when it comes to human rights,” Wamback said, adding that Olson is still behind bars and “that, we should be thankful for.”
tamara.cherry@sunmedia.ca
