44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 15, 2022 10:00AM
Mr. Speaker, it is so essential that we increase health transfers to the provinces. It is something premiers across the country have been asking for. In my home province of British Columbia, we are experiencing critical health care shortages and critical staffing shortages. In Victoria, we have lost three walk-in clinics in the past few weeks. People are struggling to find a family doctor. We need to make sure the provinces have the funding from the federal government. It is their responsibility to provide the resources so we do not see the crisis that we are currently seeing in our health care system.
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Mr. Speaker, I think my hon. colleague will agree that one of the most of the important aspects of this debate is that it has shed light on the meagre amount so many seniors are living on every month. I am sitting here tonight listening to her and reflecting on this. I am astounded that we have gotten to a place where we have a government that is comfortable with the OAS and GIS being so meagre and comfortable with so many people in our country living below the poverty line, particularly seniors, and that as a society and a country, there is not more outcry.
Perhaps she could offer her reflections on where we go next. How do we take this debate and ensure that, in a very short amount of time, we get to a place where every senior is living with dignity and has enough income every month to meet basic needs?
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Mr. Speaker, I think the first step is a guaranteed livable basic income, having the government start actually ensuring the wealthiest pay their fair share and investing that money into supporting seniors and supporting everyone in our communities who is struggling.
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Brampton South.
Today, we have a very important question before the House, and I am here to join in this debate about what we can do for seniors, particularly low-income seniors, who have a greater need of government support. Bill C-12 would amend the Old Age Security Act around the guaranteed income supplement, and we have a very tight timeline to do so. This crucial legislation would amend the Old Age Security Act to ensure that pandemic relief benefits are exempt from the calculation of the guaranteed income supplement or allowance benefits, starting in July 2022. We recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic has made life more expensive for seniors. This was especially the case for vulnerable seniors who had followed public health advice and made the right choice to protect themselves and their loved ones by staying home from their jobs to avoid the risk of infection.
I think back to June 2020 and the devastating impacts of the hailstorm in my community of Calgary Skyview. It had a huge impact on our community. It devastated the homes of many Calgary Skyview residents and many seniors during the time of the COVID pandemic. I am thinking of the many seniors I have spoken to from Calgary Skyview, such as Maureen, Sunil and the president of the Dashmesh Seniors Society, Mr. Bhatti. It was for individuals like them that we quickly responded and introduced pandemic benefits, like the Canada emergency response benefit and the Canada recovery benefit.
As we all know, these benefits have resulted in some negative impacts for some of our most vulnerable seniors. This was not our government's intention, and we have worked closely with officials to come up with a rapid and targeted response. I would like to thank the officials who have delivered these immensely valuable benefits to Canadians and who thought to make sure they were compassionate and available throughout the pandemic.
Currently, the Old Age Security Act outlines that GIS is an income-tested, payable benefit to low-income seniors who receive the old age security pension. At the start of every July, eligible Canadian seniors have their entitlement for the GIS or the allowance reassessed based on their income or the combined income of a couple, as reported on their annual tax return in April. The purpose of this is to ensure that the most in-need seniors receive the benefit and that appropriate recalculations take place.
The Income Tax Act defines the newly created pandemic relief benefits as taxable income. This has, in turn, meant that they are also considered as income for the purpose of determining entitlement to the GIS or allowance benefits. Responding to this while respecting the tax season is why Bill C-12 is so important and required a more tailored approach to quickly receive royal assent.
In the economic fiscal update of last December, we announced our first step in addressing the broader issue of GIS benefits being impacted. Our government committed $742.4 million for a one-time payment to fully compensate eligible recipients who were impacted. Through close collaboration with other parties and our officials, we have worked hard on a timeline to deliver this payment as soon as possible. As the Minister of Seniors announced yesterday, we are on target to get these payments out to most individuals on April 19 to fully compensate the total amount in benefits lost for the year.
As I spoke about collaboration, I must acknowledge the great recent announcement in Calgary to support seniors. The government, the City of Calgary and Silvera for Seniors are partnering to deliver affordable housing with the Vista seniors housing project, which is located right across from Akram Jomaa Islamic Centre. This is significant work that was done by officials and our Liberal government in the spirit of co-operation, all the while focused on seniors, not the politics we see here. We recognize government is not always perfect, but we strive every day to be there for Canadians in the right ways to help them in their day-to-day lives. Here, we are doing that.
The motion before us has been thoroughly debated in the House, and rightfully so. I hope that after hearing from my colleagues, all members will recognize this is not about rushing, it is not about avoid procedure and it is not about the minister avoiding a committee appearance. Bill C-12 is about fixing a situation we all decried and moving forward for seniors.
The reason this motion was introduced was so that Bill C-12 could be passed expeditiously and the proper calculations could take place in July 2022. This is not an arbitrary date or a politically motivated false urgency to avoid process. The Minister of Seniors and her office have hosted technical briefings on this matter and offered a clear picture into the challenges that departmental officials face. Simply put, to avoid this issue arising a second time in July 2022, we must amend the Old Age Security Act no later than March 4. We heard concerns and support regarding the need to prevent a similar situation down the road. Seniors in all ridings have been impacted by this, and more seniors will be impacted if we do not move quickly. For that reason, we urge all members to do the right thing and what is best for Canada's most vulnerable seniors.
Bill C-12 would allow for thousands of seniors to file their 2021 taxes with peace of mind knowing that the benefits they are entitled will not be negatively impacted. To be clear, the following benefits would be exempt: the Canada emergency response benefit, including any CERB amounts paid under the Employment Insurance Act; the Canada recovery benefit; the Canada recovery sickness benefit; the Canada recovery caregiving benefit; and the Canada worker lockdown benefit.
As it is tax season, I want to thank the many organizations that are helping seniors in Calgary Skyview, like the Inca Senior Citizens Society and The Immigrant Education Society. They are partnering with us under the volunteer tax program.
Having listened closely to today's discussion, there appears to be a great deal of confusion on the part of some members opposite on exactly what Bill C-12 would do and why we need it. I repeat: Bill C-12 does not have anything to do with the one-time payment we committed to in the economic fiscal update. That is a separate matter and is something the minister is closely focused on with all involved. The members opposite who are insisting that more debate needs to be held on Bill C-12 should remember that this is a very simple five-line piece of legislation. It is not complicated and is designed with the sole purpose of exempting pandemic benefits from the calculation of GIS and allowance when recalculations take place in July 2022.
My colleagues and I on this side of the House are extremely proud of the measures we have put forward over the course of this extremely difficult pandemic. We will continue to put seniors at the forefront of our government's response to COVID-19, and Bill C-12 plays an important role in that. We will remain focused on finding solutions to the challenges faced by Canada's seniors to allow for safe and comfortable retirements. Seniors deserve the finest quality of care and support after decades of building this country.
Bill C-12 is not something that can afford to be delayed. We must all act as fast as we possibly can. I hope my hon. colleagues can all agree on the need for swift passage of this bill.
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Mr. Speaker, throughout the member for Calgary Skyview's speech, he said that the minister held a consultation. During the minister's remarks throughout the debate, she talked frequently about the previous Conservative policies. The first policy she failed to mention was that fixing this mistake was actually in her platform.
It is the second time this week that the government has invoked closure on legislation, and we all agree that this needs to pass quickly. However, the member opposite says that the minister held a consultation. We often think the legislation could be simple, but there is something that could be missed. The more we avoid parliamentary scrutiny through the committee process, which gives members time, in detail, to do a clause-by-clause analysis, we do not have that extra scrutiny and oversight. Therefore, I find it a little rich that the government is saying we are playing politics. The Liberals delayed the return of Parliament. We know this needed to be acted upon.
First, can the member outline that the government made a mistake but it is trying to rectify it now? Second, why do we need to rush this today when the Senate is not even sitting? Even if it is passed tonight in a bill, the Senate is not going to debate it until next week.
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the hon. colleague's assessment and question.
The previous Conservative government did actually increase the age of retirement for seniors, which we rolled back. Our minister has been open to having conversations and discussions on this. The most important thing on this issue is to get money back to those seniors. It is tax season. They have to file their taxes and we want to make sure that those seniors who were impacted get support, ongoing and through this pandemic.
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Mr. Speaker, I tried to stay calm while my colleague from Calgary Skyview was delivering his speech, but it certainly was not easy.
I keep hearing people talk about how hard they worked to fix things for seniors as fast as possible. Are the Liberals seriously trying to make us believe that, when we sounded the alarm in July 2021?
Right in the middle of the election campaign, I took action. I wrote to ministers. I was told that, because of the election, it was a transitional period and there was nothing they could do. They were not too worried about it during the campaign because they were all having a great time with their pointless election.
Now they keep telling us how great the government is because it is acting fast to save seniors. They keep telling us how great this bill is, this bill they are going to make us vote on a few hours from now even though it will not come into force until July. This is February. At this very moment, seniors are cutting how much they spend on food.
I hope the member is embarrassed to be handing us those lines. I hope he can explain why it is so urgent that we vote on this now when it will not come into effect until July because their computer system is not functional.
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Mr. Speaker, I did not hear a question from the hon. member but I will answer some of the comments.
Our government stepped up. In my riding of Calgary Skyview, we stepped up to support seniors with the Vista seniors housing project across from Akram Jomaa Islamic Centre. That is government working in collaboration and partnership with other orders of government and community organizations to provide seniors with critical supports like affordable housing, so I am proud of my government's work.
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Mr. Speaker, can I get clarity from the member on when the first payments will go out to seniors, based on this bill?
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Mr. Speaker, our government has committed to quick passage of the bill and to provide supports for seniors as soon as possible. It is important, as this legislation is passed, that we can move forward and be able to do that.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Calgary Skyview for sharing his time with me. I am pleased to rise today virtually to support Bill C-12, an act to amend the Old Age Security Act, a bill to support seniors in Canada presented by my colleague from Brampton West, the Minister of Seniors.
The issues the bill raises are some that I have heard about from my constituents. Last year and earlier this year, I had a number of important meetings with many different organizations that serve seniors in Brampton, such as members of Brampton's local CARP, United Achievers' Club, Young at Heart, Roots Community Services and some seniors clubs.
Most importantly, I spoke with hundreds of seniors at their doors in my riding of Brampton South. All of them spoke to me about the importance of supporting seniors and recognizing that they were hit hard by this pandemic. They know very well how we can play a positive role in their lives through supporting the physical, social, financial, health and well-being of seniors.
That is why today I will be happy to share my perspective on why we need to pass this bill as soon as we can so that we can continue to support seniors across the country. Bill C-12 excludes income received from the recovery benefits, the caregiving benefit, the sickness benefits and the lockdown benefits from being included in the calculated amount of the guaranteed income supplement, an allowance that will be coming to seniors at their set monthly rate starting this July.
From the beginning, it was made clear to Canadians that these pandemic programs were meant as income replacement for people who had lost their jobs or who had their hours reduced because of the pandemic. It was also clear that this would be considered as income. As a result, some seniors who got these benefits saw a reduction in the GIS allowance benefit. We recognize that this came as unexpected to some seniors.
We have heard their concerns and this bill will help resolve this issue by exempting pandemic benefits from the calculation of GIS or allowance benefits. We will ensure we do not penalize seniors for taking the pandemic benefits they needed to help make ends meet. We know that our government's compassionate approach has helped seniors and all Canadians get through some very tough times.
Some working, low-income seniors still need pandemic support from the government. This is why, as a first step, the government committed in this economic and fiscal update to provide a one-time payment to compensate for the full amount of the reduction. It will be automatic, tax-free and come in the same way seniors normally receive their benefits.
Coming even earlier than planned in April, this will prevent financial hardship for these seniors. Eligible seniors will not need to take any action. This targeted, one-time payment will go to over 200,000 GIS and allowance recipients who received pandemic benefits in 2020 and who faced a reduction or loss of GIS benefits. We are determined to make this right. As a next step, this bill is making a simple adjustment to the Old Age Security Act that will prevent this GIS reduction from happening again.
The substance of this bill is shorter than 100 words. It does not need any further delay, study or analysis, so let us pass the bill quickly to take away the worries of low-income seniors.
We are proud of our record when it comes to supporting seniors. One of the first actions this government took was to restore the age of eligibility for OAS to age 65 after it was raised by the Conservatives. That move tried to push seniors into staying in the workforce longer, which seniors did not appreciate or ask for. What they actually asked for was a secure retirement.
When the pandemic began, we invested an additional $9 million into the New Horizons for Seniors program, supporting local projects that serve seniors. Later, seniors received an additional $20 million from this program. Some of these projects, including those in our community, reduce social isolation, improve digital literacy and help seniors maintain a social support network.
We have also implemented changes that will specifically help low-income seniors, like raising the basic personal amount for taxes when this measure is fully implemented next year. It will benefit 4.3 million seniors, almost half a million of whom will see their federal taxes reduced to zero. That will benefit many seniors.
The government has provided one-time payments to help get seniors through the pandemic, and we will see a permanent 10% increase for those over the age of 75 coming this summer. This is the first real adjustment since 1973. This helped nearly 900,000 low-income seniors and has lifted 45,000 seniors out of poverty. The government has worked hard to ensure income security for seniors who have spent their lives helping to build this country. We enhanced the CPP by 50% for future retirees. We are the party that created OAS, the CPP, the RRSP and the GIS, which serve as the cornerstones of the Canadian retirement system.
We know that we have more to do as well. We are working with the provinces to improve the quality and availability of long-term care homes. This one is especially important to me. Some members may remember that one of the first long-term care homes in the country that needed support from the armed forces was in my riding of Brampton South. The Health Standards Organization and the Canadian Standards Association have both released their draft reports for recommendations on this issue. Like many Canadians, I am eager to see the final results later this year.
Our government is also exploring the establishment of an aging at home benefit as well as assisting other community-based organizations that help seniors to age in place.
If we ask seniors in any community, they will tell us that they want to stay in their homes with their families longer. We are working to provide seniors with a single point of access for government services, as well as working to define elder abuse and make the appropriate adjustments to the Criminal Code. We know that elder abuse, including in care homes, needs to be called out and addressed.
I remember the night before the omicron wave, I visited the Flower City Seniors Centre together with the Minister of Seniors. I remember speaking with Christine, the facility manager, about the support we are providing for seniors. I asked her about the feedback she is hearing from seniors in Brampton. Seniors want this pandemic to be over and while they want issues like the one we discussed today to be addressed quickly, they are grateful for the support we have given them.
Together, I look forward to continuing the work with the minister, locally and nationally, on supporting seniors. We all have to continue this work.
This bill is essential. Seniors across the country need this support urgently and there is no reason for delay. I encourage all colleagues to support the bill.
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague is modest, so she did not point out the incredibly important work she has done to advance diabetes research in Canada. London is home to Sir Frederick Banting. Of course, those who know anything about the history of diabetes will know the important work that he did to advance insulin. So many have benefited from that.
Where I am going with this is that I wonder if the member could outline for us the way that a measure like this will help not just seniors but the seniors living with diabetes whom she has helped for so long.
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Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is very passionate about the diabetes issue too. I thank him for this passion. He is a great member of his riding.
We can all agree with how challenging this pandemic has been for seniors and we know that we are always there for our respectable seniors. We are helping seniors by issuing an one-time payment to those on GIS allowance to reduce the loss due to pandemic benefits. We all want Bill C-12 to be passed.
I am also grateful to all members of the House for supporting this bill and I am hoping we will pass the bill quickly, so our seniors can get—
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- Feb/15/22 6:57:14 p.m.
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Questions and comments, the hon. member for Kelowna—Lake Country.
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Mr. Speaker, the government says this is really important. It is clear that this legislation is to fix errors from former legislation that the government put forth. I know it is something I have heard about extensively in my riding of Kelowna—Lake Country from seniors, who were affected by the errors made in the legislation. They said how they affected them.
My question to the hon. member is this. If this was so important for the government to fix, why did we have an election in the summer? Why did it take the government two months to be recalled, and why did it wait so long for this legislation, Bill C-12? Why did it wait so long? Why was it not one of the most important pieces of legislation that was brought forth as soon as the House resumed?
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Mr. Speaker, to the contrary, our government did not wait to provide support to seniors. That is why one of the first things the government did in this Parliament, as part of the fall economic statement, was to announce that funds would be given to compensate for the full amount of the reduction. A one-time support for seniors was announced before, for example.
I also know that the Minister of Seniors began working on this the very day she was appointed to her position.
I just want to talk about this bill so that we can help our vulnerable seniors. With this bill, individuals would receive a $1,200 one-time payment from when the GIS was reduced by $100. We want to get back on track and make sure that seniors get that payment, so let us pass this bill. It is urgent to make sure this issue is resolved and that seniors get the benefit.
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Mr. Speaker, I agree with my colleague from Berthier—Maskinongé. I found it frustrating listening to my Liberal colleagues earlier as they told us that we need to rush this through, that they are there for seniors, that they are going to take care of seniors and that they are going to solve the problem. We warned the Liberals about this a year ago.
When it comes to the vulnerability of seniors, housing is a major challenge and one of the biggest indicators of poverty. Right now in Quebec there is a shortage of 50,000 social housing units to deal with this crisis. This shortage is a direct result of the federal government's withdrawal from social housing for the past 30 years.
I often rise in the House to talk about this issue. I asked the minister about it on Monday and told him that major investments are needed. The province, as well as cities like Montreal and Quebec City, are waiting for investments. This is affecting thousands of people, and our seniors are the most vulnerable when it comes to housing.
When will the government tackle the housing crisis head-on, as it has done with the current health crisis, and fix the problem?
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Mr. Speaker, we take housing seriously. During the campaign last summer, our government introduced an ambitious plan to increase home ownership, as well as to make the overall housing market more affordable. That included helping cities to increase supply, building affordable housing and converting office spaces into housing, as well as stopping excessive profits from the housing market. These will not only help seniors, but all Canadians. We are looking forward to continuing this work.
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Kenora.
I cannot start my speech today without giving some recognition. On this side of the House, we have talked about a plan forward out of this pandemic. We have talked about ending the mandates, so I cannot start today without recognizing my hometown, which I am so proud of: Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Calgary City Council, led by Dan McLean, today announced an end to the mask mandate on March 1 in alignment with the Province of Alberta, so I thank Dan McLean. Dan, of course, is the councillor for Ward 13. It is a ward in my riding, and I am so very pleased and proud of him and city council today for taking that brave action toward advancing Canadians and ending this mandate. I thank them so very much.
As the shadow minister for employment, future workforce development, disability and inclusion, a key portfolio in ESDC, and along with the incredible critic for seniors in my party, the member for Hastings—Lennox and Addington, I feel completely obliged and compelled to speak about the matter before us today, Bill C-12, and the reason we are having this debate.
When I heard about Bill C-12, it seemed to me that the situation was familiar and I gave it a bit of thought. When the pandemic hit, the government issued a series of benefits: the CERB and the CRB. Lo and behold, unfortunately when the GIS payments were issued there was a necessity to claw them back. This was a result of the government's lack of competency with the administration and overpayment of the CRB and the CERB, by giving funds to those who were not entitled to them. This is no small matter. It affects 90,000 low-income seniors across the country who are struggling to put food on the table and to heat their homes. They certainly do not need this problem at this time.
I understand that the government has allocated a large sum of funds to this: around $700 million. Yesterday in the House, it actually released the date on which these low-income seniors could start to see these funds. It is April 19. The Liberals were not willing to release that information to me at committee, so I am glad they have finally come forward with it in the House, and have announced a date when seniors can expect to see these funds. They would not give me a date when I pressed them at committee.
As I reflected upon this situation, it occurred to me that this was not the first time we had seen this. In fact, oops, they did it again. Where has this happened before? Where have we seen this lack of administration and competency before? I am going to go all the way back to the beginning of the pandemic and Bill C-2, where we as an opposition tried very hard to work with the government to get Canadians the benefits they deserved.
Our current interim Leader of the Opposition was involved in those negotiations, as was the member for Carleton, who was acting in the capacity of shadow minister for finance at the time. He had the good measure to recognize the lack of oversight that was occurring with the government asking for unlimited spending. I am very fortunate that he saw that and pointed it out.
What happened after that was that we had to come back to the House and amend Bill C-2 as a result of the government's incompetence and mismanagement again. We saw that the Canada emergency wage subsidy came too late. The Canada emergency commercial rent assistance did not work, because it required the approval of landlords as well as a 70% revenue reduction. As well, not a single business received funds from the government's large employer emergency financing facility. We saw it there with Bill C-2.
We saw it again in May of 2020, when the CBC reported that Canadians who did not qualify for CERB were getting it anyway and could face consequences, such as the ones we saw with the GIS, which thank goodness are finally being addressed today.
However, it does not end there. We saw it again with maternity benefits, whereby Canadian women who were pregnant could not receive the CERB or the CRB, again as a result of government error and an oversight. We saw the errors of the government once again having a significant impact on Canadians who needed those benefits at that time.
I wish I could say it ends there, but it does not. In fact, it goes on to Bill C-24, where we had to come back and close loopholes that allowed international leisure and other non-essential travellers to claim the Canada recovery benefit, but that made individuals required to quarantine or self-isolate under the Quarantine Act during the two-week benefit period ineligible to submit a claim.
Do we see the trend here that I am referring to? It is the incompetency of the government again and again. Here we are again with Bill C-12, referring to the errors of the government that deeply impacted Canadians. I wish I could say it ends there. It does not.
In November, 2021, we found out that organized crime knowingly and actively exploited federal pandemic benefits. Where did these funds potentially go? I will tell you. They went to illegal firearms. Check the borders, boys. They also went to human trafficking and prostitution. Once again, the errors and mismanagement of the government caused problems for the House. They caused delays to those who needed benefits, resulting in new legislation. The House had to consider taking the time of everyone here, taking us away from other important issues and away from work for our constituents, to come back here and fix the government's errors once again.
I know members know what I am going to say. It does not end there. Now, we are finding out that there are problems with the auditing. Even though the government was aware in June, 2020, and by July 2020, it recognized $442 million in double payments, we will not see this auditing be completely done and rectified until 2023. That is three years after the Liberals first recognized that this problem existed.
Again and again, we are seeing the government's incompetence have a significant effect on the lives on Canadians and on everyone who works in the House and wants to focus on other legislation. Unfortunately, we are called back again and again to fix the errors of the government.
It does not end there. Just five days ago, we found out that the federal government sent nearly $12 million in Canada emergency response benefit payments to people with foreign addresses in the first seven months of the pandemic. It is overwhelming the number of—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- Feb/15/22 7:10:00 p.m.
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I know there are questions and answers coming up after. I know we are really waiting to ask those questions. I cannot wait to hear the bit that is going to go on. If we can just finish up on this one, there is a minute or so for the member to finish her speech.
The hon. member for Calgary Midnapore.
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