I'm absolutely advocating for seniors within cabinet. That's my primary mandate. I spoke to that with respect to my answer to one of the members of the Liberal caucus.

11:30 a.m.

Conservative

Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK

With respect to that, your government created a two-tier retirement age by giving the 10% OAS boost to only those seniors who were over 75. That actually left seniors aged 65 to 74 owed; they are falling behind because of that increase.

It is also your Liberal government that has created uncertainty and financial hardship for seniors. The Bloom Finance report found that 76% of seniors say rising costs are eroding their retirement savings. Stats Canada reports that nearly half of working seniors aged 65 to 74 say they're still working out of financial necessity. They're working because they have to work, because everything is too expensive.

This is the reality facing seniors under your government. How do you justify a high-tax and high-spend agenda that fuels inflation while seniors are forced to choose between heating, eating and the essential medications that they need?

11:30 a.m.

Liberal

Stephanie McLean Liberal Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC

I'm sorry—what was your question?

11:30 a.m.

Conservative

Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK

How do you justify a high-tax and high-spend agenda that is fuelling inflation while seniors are forced to choose between eating, heating and the medication that is a necessity for them?

It was your government that created the two tiers of seniors.

11:30 a.m.

Liberal

Stephanie McLean Liberal Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC

You're asking about the difference compared to those aged 75 and up. Is that correct?

11:30 a.m.

Conservative

Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK

Seniors cannot get by. They have saved their whole—

11:30 a.m.

Liberal

Stephanie McLean Liberal Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC

I'm just trying to understand your question.

11:30 a.m.

Conservative

Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK

I'm sorry you don't understand it. I don't know how much more plain.... I'm a big advocate for plain language, and this is in pretty plain language.

11:30 a.m.

Liberal

Stephanie McLean Liberal Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC

Your initial question was about taxation and our budget plan. Then you asked about—

11:30 a.m.

Conservative

Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK

My first question was about whether you advocate for seniors in cabinet. That was my first question.

11:30 a.m.

Liberal

Stephanie McLean Liberal Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC

I answered that question. I'm trying to get clarity—

11:30 a.m.

Liberal

Annie Koutrakis Liberal Vimy, QC

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

I'm just wondering if we can allow the secretary of state to complete her sentence before we interject. I understand and I know that time is limited.

11:30 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey

Thank you, Madam Koutrakis.

I'm lenient. It's the member's time to question, so I'll resume with the member, but please respect one another.

Thank you.

11:30 a.m.

Conservative

Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK

Thank you, Chair. I do take issue with that. I am a respectful member of this committee.

I'm sorry that my questions seem to be difficult.

My question is on the cost of living. The cost of living is increasing. These seniors are on fixed incomes, and your government has created more pressure by creating two tiers of seniors—some who get a boost and others who don't. It's basically saying, “You're having a harder time than you're having, so because you fall in this category, you get more money.” In reality, because of the cost of living—especially because they're on fixed incomes and they don't have more income coming in—they have to go back to work in order to not live on the streets and in order to pay for medication and put food on the table.

We heard from my colleague Ms. Roberts how there are seniors taking in students, for example, so that they can have a place to live.

Why do you and your government support a high-tax and high-spend agenda?

11:35 a.m.

Liberal

Stephanie McLean Liberal Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC

It is really important that we invest in seniors. Our government is investing in old age security, and we're investing in those who are 75 and older, as I mentioned, who have higher needs.

11:35 a.m.

Conservative

Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK

The two-tier system that your government created—

11:35 a.m.

Liberal

Stephanie McLean Liberal Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC

Those higher needs need to be addressed. By ensuring that there are additional funds for those seniors, we're helping to address poverty. This means that—

11:35 a.m.

Conservative

Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK

But they're still living in poverty, and they're being forced back to work.

Thanks, Secretary.

11:35 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey

Thank you, Madam Secretary and Ms. Falk.

Mr. Joseph, you may go ahead for five minutes.

11:35 a.m.

Liberal

Natilien Joseph Liberal Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Madam Secretary of State, you highlighted the importance of recognizing the role seniors play in our society. I heard you say a number of times that seniors built the Canada we are so proud to call home.

First, can you tell us a bit more about the recent efforts to encourage seniors to play an active role in their communities?

Second, what are your greatest achievements to date in your role as secretary of state?

Third, we often hear certain opposition parties downplaying the importance of federal investments in supports for seniors. Can you remind us how these measures have improved seniors' lives in a concrete way and why it's important to remain proactive on this issue?

Thank you, Madam Secretary of State.

11:35 a.m.

Liberal

Stephanie McLean Liberal Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC

Thank you for that question. It gives me the opportunity as well to finish some of my thoughts from the prior question.

The leader of the Conservative Party has made it very clear that he wants us to cut more than $56 billion from the budget between 2025 and 2029. It's very interesting to me to hear from the Conservative members that they want increased spending. It's hard for me to square those two things and, at the same time, explain to them how these investments are so crucial to seniors and cannot withstand a $56-billion cut to the kinds of services that seniors rely on.

The old age security program is a budget item. It's a line item. It's real dollars that Canadians rely on. It's not a cheap line item. This is because it puts real dollars into the pockets of Canadians. Old age security alone at its full rate is just over $800. The GIS at its full rate is around $1,100. Those amounts ensure that we keep seniors from falling into poverty at the same rates that we see in the national average. We know that it's working, because we see that the senior population is experiencing poverty at half the rate of the national average.

That doesn't mean it's okay that anybody is living in poverty. That doesn't mean that what is happening in the global economic context, raising the cost of groceries, raising the cost of housing materials, is okay. It means we need to invest in Canadians, and those investments need to be smart and strategic. Canadians are relying on all of us elected in the House of Commons to support initiatives and a budget that invests in them. That very much includes seniors and the programs and services they rely on.

I focused on old age security, but we have the New Horizons for Seniors program. This is a program that with a $56-billion cut we would absolutely see lost. This is a crucial program that fights social isolation. Over the summer I had the opportunity to go and see the real world impacts of those dollars. What it means is that social services organizations are able to reach out to seniors who are living alone, who are isolated, and ensure that they have access to the food programs that many of these senior centres are running. Those food programs help to combat food insecurity.

Without investments from the Canadian government, with a $56-billion cut tomorrow, simply put, those services cannot exist.

11:40 a.m.

Liberal

Natilien Joseph Liberal Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC

I have another question for you.

Do you really think—