I want to echo to my colleagues on the committee what Ms. Beaumier is saying, that this is an issue. I know that since I was elected in 2004 it has been of concern to many seniors. There is, I would say, a process of discrimination, where some seniors are receiving their benefits after three years and others are receiving them after 10 years. One only has to talk to some of these seniors to realize the challenges they face; without the benefits, they are put very close to the poverty line in this country.
As I said in the House of Commons last week, I don't think a senior should have to make a choice between filling up their gas tank or filling up their fridge or having to fill their prescriptions.
The passage of this bill brought forward by Ms. Beaumier, which I hope will be supported by all committee members, would help to ensure that we reverse this inequality, so that we will have a system that is fair and treats all citizens—seniors especially, regardless of which country they're from—with the utmost respect. So I hope we can count on the support of all of our colleagues around the table.
In closing, could I request that Ms. Beaumier forward to the clerk, who could distribute to us, the costing analysis that was done, along with the amount of people who are impacted by this particular inequality?