A few weeks ago, Tory Senators crushed a bill sponsored by Senator Art Eggleton that would have provided continuing compensation for disabled former Nortel workers, whose disability payments are running out at the end of the month.

On Jan 1, in fact, Nortel will not only stop paying all benefits to their disabled employees, but their pensioners will have their pensions slashed by at least 40% as well.

The Harper government is not raising a finger to help any of them, and, as noted, their Upper House minions have just stolen the last hope that the disabled Nortel workers had. Perhaps needless to say, the move was supported by the Canadian Bankers Association—which represents the folks who made a tidy $4.5 billion in profit in the last quarter.

No doubt they will celebrate the holidays in their usual convivial style.