I would say that the purpose of this bill is precisely to start a discussion of two aspects: first, the discrimination that has been created based on age, and second, how to support seniors who decide to stay in the labour market.
That is the reality: there is a labour shortage right now, but we are deterring seniors from working. It is a simple as that.
I am going to explain what brought us to look into this. When our leader, Yves-François Blanchet, began his summer tour in 2021, he met with seniors who told him they were being penalized by staying in the labour market. They told him that there is a labour shortage, but they can't contribute to fixing it, because they would be penalized.
That was when we thought about the issue, and about improving income protection by raising the cap by $1,500. It is a way to start the discussion. Of course, we could even go further. On top of the additional $1,500 that would be protected in order to put a bit extra in seniors' wallets, we could also consider other measures, such as tax credits for experienced workers. In any event, we plainly have to look at the fact that right now there are far too many factors that deter seniors from staying in the labour market.
Ironically, the Liberals are sending an unfair message. First, they are telling seniors aged 65 to 74 to go out and work if they do not have enough money, but then, they keep the barriers to employment in place for far too many seniors who would like to work.
We are also thinking about seniors who are 65 years old who have had harder jobs and cannot stay in the labour market. I am thinking, for example, of people in the construction industry, whose bodies are more worn out by physical labour. We might tell them to stay in the labour market, but they could not do it. These people are entitled to take their well-earned retirement at age 65.
The bill we are proposing therefore aims to offer a choice, but more importantly to encourage seniors who still want to do so to stay in the labour market, of course, because they offer an advantage for many businesses. They have experience and they can provide mentoring, for example, and pass on knowledge about the business. However, if we throw up obstacles in their path, they will not stay in the labour market.
On the food bank situation, Ms. Roberts, I see the same thing in my region. I would like to pass on a statistic. Out of every $100 that seniors spend, $56 goes to the cost of housing and food, compared to $45 for all other households. Housing and food are therefore much more important issues for seniors.