Evidence of meeting #59 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was lessard.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:20 p.m.
Bloc
Yves Lessard Bloc Chambly—Borduas, QC
This is an omnibus amendment. I move that Bill C-36 be amended by adding after line 9, on page 12, the following new clause:
15.1 Section 8 of the act is amended by adding the following after subsection (1): (1.1) The first pension payment to any person shall include an application for payment of a supplement referred to in subsection 11(2).
With Mr. Chair, with your permission, I could explain this amendment.
4:20 p.m.
Bloc
Yves Lessard Bloc Chambly—Borduas, QC
Mr. Chair, this comes in the wake of the debates that have been held here and in the House of Commons concerning the fact that there are still 128,000 persons listed in this country as being entitled to the Guaranteed Income Supplement, but who are not receiving it. They're not getting it because of their civic situation, I would say: either they aren't aware of it or they aren't able to claim it.
Of the measures that the department has told us it wants to implement, it seems to us this should be the first. When a person requests his first old age security pension cheque, we should be able to send him, with his first cheque, an information form concerning the Guaranteed Income Supplement.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
Mike Lake Conservative Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB
I'm not exactly sure what this means either, so I want to hear from the department what the implications of this would be.
4:25 p.m.
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations Branch, Service Canada
In particular, the practical application of it is that we will have a combined application for both OAS and GIS, so that the effect of what I think Mr. Lessard is suggesting will happen at the application point. Beyond that, there are a large number of activities that the government follows on with to make sure that people know about the availability of GIS in addition to OAS and CPP.
For instance, with every T-4 slip we mail out to millions of Canadians every year, there's a newsletter that goes out to inform them. We've mailed out over 400,000 applications in the last few years pre-filled so that people can apply. With the statement of contributions for CPP that we send out to people in targeted age groups, such as age 60, age 65, and age 70, of which we've done over 600,000, we also remind them to apply.
So it will be in the combined application form, plus we've now done reminders to over 900,000 people to do it, plus there are outreach activities, plus any activity that's available in almost 500 service locations nationwide.
4:25 p.m.
Director, International Policy and Agreements, Seniors and Pensions Policy Secretariat, Social Development Sectors Branch, Department of Human Resources and Social Development
What you want to ensure is that you reach out as quickly as possible, and not necessarily at the time of payment. For the department it's important that, as Mr. MacLeod explained, you take steps as early as possible to ensure that people are aware of the benefits, and this is with respect to proactive measures as well.
With respect to “The first pension payment any person shall include an application”, I think it's inherent that with the combined application form for old age security and the guaranteed income supplement, at the time an individual is applying for the old age security benefit is when you want to ensure that you're also reaching out to them on the guaranteed income supplement so that they're aware at that time.
And as a result of that combined application form, which is a tick, “Yes, I want to be entitled to both old age security and the guaranteed supplement”, as a measure this is what we're proposing and administratively this is what will happen.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
I've just been informed by the legislative clerk that we are not amending section 8 of the act, so this motion is out of order.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
The legislative clerk just indicated that because we are not looking at section 8 of the act, this goes beyond the scope of what the bill is.
Go ahead, Mr. Lessard.
I don't make this stuff up.
4:25 p.m.
Bloc
Yves Lessard Bloc Chambly—Borduas, QC
The fact that this isn't in order is a joke, isn't, Mr. Chair?
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
No. I'm sorry, the amendment is not in order, I've been informed.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
Mr. Lessard, it goes into dealing with the Old Age Security Act, which is not what we are amending here today--section 8--so it does not fall within the scope of what we are dealing with here today.
Mr. Lessard.
4:25 p.m.
Bloc
Yves Lessard Bloc Chambly—Borduas, QC
Mr. Chair, with all due respect, I don't want to debate with you any longer, but I do want to understand. We're not trying to amend the Old Age Security Act.
Officials who have come to talk to us had the same concerns as we did. They said that helping people determine whether they are entitled to the Guaranteed Income Supplement does not involve a single measure, but rather a set of measures. It seems to me this is an obvious measure. We're not amending the act.
I'm simply asking the officials this: does sending this form pose a problem? It seems to me there isn't a problem. If there isn't a problem, Mr. Chair, it is our view that as long as we're mailing this out, we might as well include the form.
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
I've just been instructed by the legislative clerk that if there was unanimous consent among the committee members, by all means we could add that, but once again, it goes beyond the scope of.... As I said, it's section 8, which is not what we are dealing with here.
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
Lynne Yelich Conservative Blackstrap, SK
Could it be added just to be ruled out of order in the House of Commons, really, because it is--
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
I say once again, it would have to be unanimous consent if we wanted to accept that. The point is that if all parties agreed to this, it wouldn't be raised back in the House with a point of order.
I'm going to rule this motion out of order unless there is unanimous consent to proceed with it.
BQ-5 is ruled out of order.