44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 15, 2022 10:00AM
Mr. Speaker, I was listening to the member opposite speak about the importance of protecting the dignity of seniors and supporting their quality of life. That is an objective we all share. One of the things I and a number of MP colleagues have advocated for over the past year is national standards for long-term care. We have advocated for that, and the government has committed to it. The reason we advocated for it was that we saw, especially during the pandemic, the Canadian Armed Forces expose the reprehensible quality of care some seniors experience in some of our long-term care homes. Our belief is that national standards would ensure that seniors achieve the quality of care that seniors deserve.
I wonder if the member opposite could comment on whether she supports national standards for long-term care.
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague spoke about giving seniors the opportunity to age with dignity. I have met with many seniors in Edmonton Strathcona who speak about that very thing. They speak about wanting to age in place and wanting to ensure that the care they get when they do transition into long-term care is adequate. However, what we have seen in Alberta is a real problem with for-profit centres, which basically use a profit mandate rather than a care mandate.
Would the member support making sure that there are no dollars in long-term care and that it is, in fact, a public service that is provided? What steps would she see the government taking to ensure that seniors have the opportunity to age in place longer before they go into long-term care?
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for his interest in a guaranteed basic livable income. It is heartening to hear that he is interested in exploring this idea.
I believe that we need to consolidate and create efficiencies, absolutely. The Parliamentary Budget Officer showed that would be the case, if we were to put forward some kind of guaranteed livable income. There are efficiencies to be found. More than that, we need to increase the income of people living below the poverty line.
People are struggling. People in my community are struggling to access food and medication. It is beyond time that we provide the support necessary for people to live in dignity. I encourage the member to move beyond wanting to explore the idea. Whether it is universal dental care or universal basic income, the government speaks about wanting to explore or talk about this. Let us get it done.
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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 listened to the speech by my colleague from Hastings—Lennox and Addington, and I took notes, especially when she was talking about recognizing the dignity of workers.
The Bloc Québécois made its position very clear during the election campaign: We want old age security to be increased by $110 a month starting at 65. We will not create two classes of seniors. We want to be sure to increase seniors' purchasing power because everything costs more now, including groceries and housing.
My question for my Conservative colleague is this: Does she think that the Liberals are being stingy?
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- Feb/15/22 11:48:38 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I think my colleague from Saanich—Gulf Islands will agree that in addition to fixing this glaring problem facing seniors and the clawback of their GIS benefits, one of the real benefits of this debate has been the opportunity to shed light on the need for a guaranteed basic income for seniors and all people struggling in poverty. However, it seems there are still barriers to our coming together and delivering this basic dignity for people.
Can my colleague speak to what some of those barriers seem to be? The beliefs that we hold, either subconsciously or otherwise, are holding us back as a society from making the bold move like the one in the 1960s that she referred to. What is holding us back now from making that kind of move and delivering the basic dignity that people deserve?
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