44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 8, 2022 10:00AM
- Apr/8/22 10:42:34 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that is a fair question. What would we cut? That is a question that should be asked. I will start. For one thing, we would cut the failed Canada Infrastructure Bank. With $35 billion, this is an institution that has not delivered the infrastructure that it was supposed to deliver.
However, I do want to do a shout-out to all of those workers the member referred to. Yes, many of these people, the teachers and the health care workers who have been on the front lines, are the heroes within our economy. They went to work knowing full well the risks involved and they served us so well. The member mentioned the long-term care workers. That is a problem. Long-term care for seniors in this country is a real vulnerability. In a couple of years, 25% of Canadians will be seniors and over the age of 65. Imagine. Who is going to be taking care of them? Will they age at home? Will they be in institutions? Who is going to be caring for them is something we have to get our minds around. I do thank the member for asking that question.
In terms of cutting, I will say one last thing. It is very clear that the budget does not reflect a triaging of issues, in other words, a prioritization of the issues that matter most to Canadians. Had the government gone through a proper prioritization process and actually implemented and spent on the things that Canadians really need and care about, this budget would have looked quite different and would actually be much more responsible. Canadians want government to live within its means because Canadians live within their means. They have balanced budgets. Without balanced budgets, they go broke. They know that, unfortunately the government does not.
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- Apr/8/22 11:25:26 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we all remember that shortly before the election, this government infamously invented the concept of two categories of seniors: those 75 and older, and everyone else.
At least there is nothing like that in this budget. That said, there is nothing in it for seniors. I am not the one saying that; it is coming from Gisèle Tassé-Goodman, the president of the FADOQ network in Quebec, who said: “This is a very bad day for low-income seniors who thought this budget would help them cope with the rising cost of living. The government has let them down.”
What does the government have to say to seniors, as a government that has done nothing to help them deal with inflation?
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- Apr/8/22 11:26:11 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, budget 2022 has provided great news and will make a real difference in the lives of seniors. Our government has announced the creation of the dental care for seniors program. Starting in 2023, seniors aged 65 and up with a family income of less than $90,000 will be able to access dental care. We also announced an additional $20 million for the New Horizons for Seniors program to continue supporting senior-serving organizations and up to $3,000 through the home accessibility tax credit for renovations and expenses to make aging at home more accessible.
The member and his party have a chance to show, finally, that they support seniors in Canada.
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- Apr/8/22 11:34:44 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Carol, a senior in my riding, shared with me her concern that seniors and those with disabilities are at the bottom of the NDP-Liberals' priorities. Seniors and those with disabilities are suffering very real stress trying to afford to live while everything in their lives becomes more expensive. They have already slashed their budgets to account for inflation and they cannot tighten their belts any further.
I care about Carol. Why do the NDP-Liberals not?
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- Apr/8/22 11:35:16 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, budget 2022 contains concrete measures.
We will invest $10 billion over the coming years to increase the housing supply and ensure that everybody, including seniors, has a place to live.
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- Apr/8/22 11:41:16 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my riding has a lot of seniors who are struggling to make ends meet with the rising costs of food, gas and home heating. There is no affordable housing left in my riding, and the government has done nothing to address the rising cost of inflation that is making everything worse.
Why is the government taking from grandma and young people, and when will the NDP-Liberal government give them a break?
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- Apr/8/22 11:41:46 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that the Conservatives say they care about seniors, yet they continuously vote against initiative after initiative for seniors. Budget 2022 provides great news that would make a real difference in the lives of seniors. We have announced the creation of a dental care for seniors program. Starting in 2023, seniors aged 65 and up with a family income of less than $90,000 will be able to access dental care. Again, there is an additional $20 million for the New Horizons for Seniors program to continue supporting senior-serving organizations. We have the backs of Canadian seniors—
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- Apr/8/22 11:55:00 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals betrayed seniors in the budget.
The Liberals not only failed to increase health transfers and continued to deprive seniors under 75 of the old age security increase, but they also broke their own promise, inadequate as it was, to enhance the guaranteed income supplement for the most vulnerable seniors. The Liberals promised a career extension tax credit. They promised to improve the tax credits for caregivers. Those are promises that they made.
Why did the Liberals break their promises?
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- Apr/8/22 11:55:38 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, from the beginning, our government's priority has been to help the most vulnerable. That is why we have worked so hard to strengthen income security and the old age security that they rely on.
Our plan delivers on our promise to increase old age security by 10% for seniors 75 and older. We will continue to deliver for seniors, especially those who need it most, as they age and as their needs increase.
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- Apr/8/22 11:56:05 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are definitely continuing to create two classes of seniors.
Not only did the government leave seniors' priorities out of the budget, but it is also trying to show that seniors do not need more support, as if seniors were spoiled rotten, as if they were wrong to worry and to want more health transfers to support quality of care at home and in long-term care facilities, as if they were wrong to think it is unfair that some seniors are receiving a bigger old age security pension than others, when the cost of living is the same for everyone.
Why is the government denying the reality of seniors and ignoring their concerns?
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- Apr/8/22 11:56:46 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are also concerned about the increased cost of living for our vulnerable seniors. That is why all of our programs for vulnerable seniors are indexed to inflation. That means that any amounts they receive from the federal government increase with the cost of living.
I would also invite my colleague to refer to page 189 of our budget, where we talk about expanding and investing more in our community programs specifically for seniors.
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- Apr/8/22 1:09:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I listened to my colleague from London North Centre. One thing that is missing from this budget is help for seniors. There is absolutely nothing.
On page 188, it says that seniors are not doing so badly and are not really living in poverty. However, I would remind my colleague that last August, during a totally useless election campaign, the Prime Minister promised seniors he would increase the guaranteed income supplement by $500 for people living alone and $750 for couples, but there is nothing for seniors in this budget.
The government continues to discriminate against seniors by dividing them into two classes. Old age security will go up starting at 75. There is nothing for people aged 65 to 74.
I would like my colleague to explain how the government can claim that drugs, rent or any consumer goods cost less for people 65 to 74 than for people 75 and up.
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- Apr/8/22 1:10:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.
I would simply tell my colleague to look at the actions of the government during the pandemic. Seniors certainly were a major focus for the government, and we will continue to make seniors a priority. There are a few things I could, by way of specifics, look at in the budget in speaking to the needs of seniors. They are areas where Canadians would benefit in general terms. One is the issue that I spoke about at the outset of my speech: the rapid housing initiative. I can tell the member that so many seniors in housing need have benefited through that program. The pharmacare and dental care will go a long way to support seniors, as well.
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