Evidence of meeting #22 for Finance in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was investment.
12:10 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
So what you're saying is a 75% savings. You're spending about one-quarter on a national home care program of what our health care system is spending now.
12:10 p.m.
Vice-President, Advocacy, Canadian Association of Retired Persons
Absolutely. Yes, and that's if you have a light-care situation where people can't manage on their own. If they get into heavy care in the formal system, you'd be spending 75% more. Obviously, if you have a chronic care or chronic disease situation, then of course you're going to save a little bit less, because the home care costs would be that much higher. That's the range that we've seen.
So the dollars involved are massive, and the opportunity for us to actually deal with the challenges to the health care system are immediate, and what people actually want. Poll after poll indicates that people want to deal with their challenges at home, if they can, if there is sufficient support from the formal health care system, and if home care workers get some training. We're focusing on the heavy-care people. About 25% of caregivers actually provide heavy care, and those are the people for whom we would be supporting an allowance and a refundable tax credit.
12:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Thank you very much, Mr. Julian.
We will go to Mr. Adler, please.
12:15 p.m.
Conservative
Mark Adler Conservative York Centre, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I too would like to welcome Mr. Julian to the committee. I hope your time here is pleasant.
12:15 p.m.
Conservative
Mark Adler Conservative York Centre, ON
But I take issue with something you said before. You indicated that poverty levels were currently brought back to 1929 levels.
12:15 p.m.
Conservative
Mark Adler Conservative York Centre, ON
Inequality. I wonder if you can table where you got that figure, because I would be very interested in reading that.
My first question is to Ms. Eng. The caregiver tax credit, removing the cap on medical expenses, eliminating mandatory retirement, advancing on providing a retirement savings vehicle, increasing sentencing for elder abuse, and increasing the guaranteed income supplement to $600 individually and $840 per couple--do you belive these are all positive steps taken by our government?
October 31st, 2011 / 12:15 p.m.
Vice-President, Advocacy, Canadian Association of Retired Persons
Absolutely. In our written submission I highlighted those proposals and changes. On some of those proposals, the cheques are already in the mail. We certainly appreciate that. Our members, when asked about these proposals, were very supportive of the changes. They focus on issues that resonate particularly with older Canadians. They definitely address the issue of poverty. They take the leadership in trying to help the next generation save for their own retirement. I encourage you to act quickly on mandatory retirement, because I understand there is some push-back there. I understand there is an imminent announcement on elder abuse.
These are all issues that say to our members and older Canadians generally that the government is listening. We are an advocacy group, so we thank you very much for that, and push for more.
When we talk about GIS, for example, some 680,000 seniors are going to benefit from that top-up. They will welcome that. There are 1.7 million Canadians who receive GIS, which by definition means they are facing some financial insecurities. So we're encouraging support for them.
When we talk about the PRPP, we think it's certainly an advance on saying we have no problem, which was happening two years ago. We caution us to take a look at what happened in Australia, which has had 12 years of experience with approximately the same type of situation. They found that because of the high fee, people were no better off than if they had just put the money in a bank. Because they had a mandatory enrollment system, people at least had the money in the bank. That was an advance.
We also believe something that large is capable of being turned into a target benefit plan, similar to what insurance companies used to offer. It's not impossible. We should examine those opportunities.
On the question of dealing with caregiver support, what you have mentioned are absolute advances, such as acknowledging a focus on family caregivers as contributors to our health care system. In that case, we encourage you to put forward a refundable tax credit, particularly for the more narrow segment of caregivers who perform 24/7 care. They are the people who have had to quit their jobs to look after their families. They are not going to be in a position to benefit from a non-refundable tax credit.
12:15 p.m.
Vice-President, Advocacy, Canadian Association of Retired Persons
We have 350,000 members across the country. By the way, we speak with them all the time. A magazine goes to them, and we have a newsletter that goes to every household.
12:15 p.m.
Conservative
Mark Adler Conservative York Centre, ON
I have to compliment you on the work of your organization. You are certainly first-rate.
12:15 p.m.
Vice-President, Advocacy, Canadian Association of Retired Persons
Thank you very much for that.
12:15 p.m.
Conservative
Mark Adler Conservative York Centre, ON
Thank you for your input.
My next question is to the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists. You mentioned there's a litany of Canadian success stories out there right now. On the other hand, you're asking for increased public funding so we can create more Canadian success stories. Is that the objective?
12:20 p.m.
National President, Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
In conventional television right now through the CMF we have the first steady platform in a long time. Everything has come together to make wonderful Canadian shows, and they are being exported. We are still lacking a strategy and sufficient incentive in the digital economy.
12:20 p.m.
Conservative
Mark Adler Conservative York Centre, ON
Okay, but just going back to television, do you not think it's more quality that's being produced now, and that's what's leading to the success, as opposed to just increased public funding?
12:20 p.m.
National President, Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
It is fabulous quality being produced right now.
Is that your question?
12:20 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
We'll come back to that in another round.
We'll go to Mr. Brison, please.
12:20 p.m.
Liberal
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Thank you very much.
There's a family in my riding that has an 82-year-old mother with Alzheimer's, an 88-year-old father taking care of her, and a 62-year-old sister taking time off from her work as a VON nurse to try to help her parent.
That mother is my mother. That sister is my sister. Dad is doing his best.
The role of caregivers in Canadian homes and families you don't appreciate until it's your own family. My sister as a caregiver is reducing her work hours--from which she derives her living--and is incurring the cost of keeping her own household going, which she cannot look after as a result of this.
I commend the Home Care Association and caregivers and also the community living association, because there's a need to help recognize the role of caregivers as well.
Am I correct in assuming that you all three support making refundable the caregiver credit and the disability credit such that low-income families can benefit? Is this is something that all of your organizations, and CARP as well, agree on?
12:20 p.m.
Liberal
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
So we have four organizations who support making refundable these tax measures?
12:20 p.m.
Liberal
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Thank you very much.
I'd like to ask CARP about the pension issue and the pension reform issue. We support and we understand that the PRPP is a help, but it doesn't go far enough in terms of providing secure, diversified, and low-fee opportunities for Canadian seniors and families.
Your organization, CARP, supports a voluntary supplemental CPP that Canadians can invest in on a voluntary basis. This would not increase payroll taxes; this would be up to individual Canadian families. All Canadian families would have access to low-fee investment opportunities, diversified geographically and sectorally.
So you would support a voluntary supplemental CPP opportunity?