Debates of May 12th, 2010

Brian Murphy Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to present this petition pursuant to Standing Order 36 signed by hundreds of Canadians calling upon Parliament to do something to protect children by taking all necessary steps to stop the Internet as a medium for the distribution of child victimization and pornography.

Joy Smith Kildonan—St. Paul, MB

Mr. Speaker, I have many petitions from people all across Canada calling upon the House to stop the issuing of child pornography over the Internet. Many Canadians are aware of the human trafficking issue and the sexual exploitation of minors. Hundreds of people are calling upon the government and all parliamentarians to take a stand against that.

Joy Smith Kildonan—St. Paul, MB

Mr. Speaker, I also have hundreds of names on a petition to stop human trafficking, to support Bill C-268 and to get it passed as quickly as possible.

Tom Lukiwski Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, the following question will be answered today: No. 166.

Chris Warkentin Peace River, AB

With regard to the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) and seniors in poverty, what would it cost the government on an annual basis to increase the GIS until the combined GIS and Old Age Security payments raised the income of seniors to the level of the low-income cut-off?

Diane Finley Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development

Mr. Speaker, the low-income rate among Canada’s seniors has declined dramatically, from 21.4 percent in 1980 to 4.8 percent in 2007. The current rate is now one of the lowest among countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Together with other elements of the retirement income system, public pensions have contributed to this positive outcome.

The old age security, OAS, program provides a critical role in enabling low-income seniors to maintain a minimum standard of living in retirement. The program provides a basic monthly pension to 4.5 million seniors aged 65 and over and additional monthly income through the guaranteed income supplement, GIS, to 1.6 million seniors who have little or no income other than their basic OAS pension.

The vast majority of GIS recipients have incomes above Statistics Canada’s after-tax low income cut-off, LICO. Out of 1.6 million GIS recipients in 2007, less than 170,000, or 10% of all GIS recipients, were below the after-tax LICO.

In order to bring the maximum level of OAS/GIS benefits in par with the LICO, the GIS would have to be increased by about $360 per month for single seniors. This would cost approximately $4.5 billion per year, as all single seniors, about 1 million, would benefit from the increase, not just those below the LICO.

GIS recipients have benefited from recent measures targeted to seniors most in need. These include, but are not limited to: a 7% increase to the GIS benefit, over and above indexation, since 2006; an increase to the GIS earnings exemption from $500 to $3,500 in July 2008. This means that low-income seniors who wish to work can retain more of their GIS benefits; and the creation of the tax-free savings account, TFSA, to increase tax-efficient savings opportunities for Canadians. TSFA investment and withdrawals do not affect GIS benefits, which is an important feature for low-income seniors.

As the Government addresses the income needs of seniors through public pensions, it also recognizes the importance of early planning by individuals and families. To help Canadians better understand and manage their finances, including planning and saving effectively for their own retirement, the Government launched Canada's Task Force on Financial Literacy to provide recommendations on a cohesive national strategy on financial literacy. The independent task force is undergoing cross-country consultations this spring and is expected to report back to the Minister of Finance by the end of the year.

Tom Lukiwski Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, would you be so kind as to call Starred Question No. 170. I ask that the question and answer to Question No. 170 be printed in Hansard as if read.

Jim Maloway Elmwood—Transcona, MB

With regard to body armour and fortified vehicles used by criminal gangs, what measures is the government planning to introduce to cooperate with provinces, such as Manitoba, to make these security features illegal?

Rob Nicholson Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, the incidence of gang members resorting to the wearing of body armour or the fortification of their vehicles raises a number of challenges for law enforcement and legislators alike. A number of provinces have taken steps to address this conduct through provincially enacted legislation. Regulatory responses, which can include enforcement provisions, provide an appropriate way to limit such practices. The Government of Canada will continue to work closely with all its partners, including the provinces and territories to improve collective responses to organized crime.

For its part, the Government of Canada has recently taken steps to strengthen the Criminal Code’s response to organized crime. Bill C-14, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (organized crime and protection of justice system participants) came into force on October 2, 2009 and, amongst other things, provides tailored responses to murders connected to organized crime and “drive-by” shootings. For more information on these new laws, please see: http://canada.justice.gc.ca/eng/news-nouv/nr-cp/2009/doc_32430.html. Moving forward, strengthening legislative responses to organized crime will remain a priority for the Government of Canada.

The Speaker Peter Milliken

Is that agreed?

Claude Gravelle Nickel Belt, ON

With regard to the provision of passport services to Canadians: (a) which Canadian communities with a population of at least 100,000 do not currently have access in their community to a Passport Canada office or a receiving agent located in a Service Canada Centre or Canada Post office; (b) what are the costs associated with placing a receiving agent in a Service Canada Centre or Canada Post office in these communities; and (c) are there planned placements of receiving agents in a Service Canada Centre or Canada Post office in these communities?