Evidence of meeting #23 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was program.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Larry Maguire Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Thanks to my colleague.
I was listening to the questions earlier, Minister. I wonder if you could just expand on the 10% increase in old age security for people over 75. Is that just on the base amount? For those who waited two, three, four or five years to take it and have accumulated a bit more OAS that way, will it be on what they receive now or on the base rate?
Liberal
Deb Schulte Liberal King—Vaughan, ON
I'm going to refer to my officials to make sure my understanding is correct. My understanding is that it is the rate that seniors are receiving. If they deferred, that would also be an increase, but let me just verify that with the officials, please.
Conservative
Liberal
Deb Schulte Liberal King—Vaughan, ON
Yes, well, I think I have it right, but I just want to confirm.
Annette Gibbons Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Employment and Social Development
I think it is intended to be 10%. Alexis, am I getting that right?
Alexis Conrad Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Income Security and Social Development Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
Yes, you're correct, Minister.
Liberal
Deb Schulte Liberal King—Vaughan, ON
Thank you. I just wanted to confirm. We want to make sure we're accurate in what we're saying. It's a 10% increase on the payment they would be receiving.
Conservative
Larry Maguire Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
I just had another question with regard to your comment. I appreciate your opening statements. You were mentioning—and I agree—that elderly Canadians are most at risk. We've seen it in this whole thing. I've been dealing with long-term care facilities myself. They've stayed at home to stay safe. I agree with your statement there. Elderly Canadians have stayed home to stay safe.
In the next paragraph, you went on to say that seniors are socially isolated but make more visits to emergency rooms, need more medication, fall more and are in residential care sooner. Isn't that a bit of a contradiction? I mean, if they're staying home, hopefully they're safer than if they are going out, slipping and falling on the ice and stuff.
I'm not saying that there aren't problems that way, but I wonder if you could just elaborate on the psychological impacts. Mental health has been, I think, a bigger thing for seniors than maybe for other sectors, where people can still get out a bit and go to work, or students can still go to school, that sort of thing.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sean Casey
I don't want to be impolite to a newcomer to the committee, but if you could answer briefly, then we have one more—
Liberal
Deb Schulte Liberal King—Vaughan, ON
I'll be very quick. I'm sorry if it's gone over.
I just want to say that it has been really, really difficult for seniors, and that is why we provided more funding for organizations to get out and support seniors, because it did help their mental health if they could get connected and do programs together.
I just want to make it clear that the stats, the data that I was sharing with you in terms of the falls and the medication, is from before the pandemic, which led to our bringing forward that campaign promise and speech from the throne commitment.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sean Casey
Thank you, Mr. Maguire. Thank you, Minister.
The last person to pose questions is Stéphane Lauzon.
Mr. Lauzon, you have the floor for five minutes.
Liberal
Stéphane Lauzon Liberal Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, QC
Madam Minister, thank you very much for being with us.
It's always a pleasure to be with you one more time.
Technical difficulties. You met many seniors during your tours.
Many issues have been raised today. My questions will focus on the mental health and social isolation of seniors.
We've talked a lot about interesting topics such as old age security, the cost of living and the new horizons for seniors program. However, you made few comments about the difference that the programs we have put in place, such as new horizons, have made and about how we've been able to break the social isolation of seniors and help improve their mental health.
Could you tell us about any challenges you have heard about during your consultations or in your riding? What solutions have we proposed?
Liberal
Deb Schulte Liberal King—Vaughan, ON
I have had the privilege of being able—even though we're in the pandemic and we're staying home—to tour the country virtually and get together with seniors, stakeholders and seniors support organizations to hear directly from them about what the big issues are right now, how they're coping and what's working.
I have to tell you that I have heard over and over again how powerful the new horizons for seniors program has been to supporting seniors. I'll just give you an example of one of the very inspiring stories I heard. There's an organization that is providing tablets and Internet to seniors, and they are hooking in students from a local university to help train and orient those seniors on those tablets. They all do a turn, so there's a whole network of youth, through the students at school and at university, helping support the seniors in getting connected. Some of those seniors were in tears talking to me about how much it's made a difference in their lives: being able to see their grandkids because they can't travel over to Italy, the birth of a child; being able to actually see and interact with family members, which is just so powerful.
I'm so proud of all the work that Canadians have done to step up, take advantage of these programs and do some very innovative programs to help seniors. It is, in some cases, life-changing for some of those seniors, and I'm very proud of the work that's being done across the country.
Liberal
Stéphane Lauzon Liberal Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, QC
Thank you very much, Madam Minister.
You opened a door by talking about where we have provided tablets and facilitated Internet communication. But we need to have Internet access in the setting where we invest.
As a result, the government has made many investments to improve access to the Internet. this includes $1.75 billion in programs. In addition, it has just announced an additional $800 million for the universal broadband fund. It has also developed programs in collaboration with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC, and the provinces.
Could the government's actions on Internet access improve the lives of our seniors?
Liberal
Deb Schulte Liberal King—Vaughan, ON
Absolutely. You can see that....
Can you hear me? I see that my Internet has become unstable.
Liberal
Stéphane Lauzon Liberal Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, QC
I can't hear you anymore, Minister.
Okay, you're frozen now.