Thank you very much for the question, Mr. Joseph.
We are very sensitive to the situation of seniors who are having difficulty getting their benefits. As a result, given the 63,000 cases in the backlog for processing old age security applications, Employment and Social Development Canada has deployed significant resources to ensure that every senior receives service very quickly, depending on the circumstances and when the situation requires it, and to ensure that the backlog is reduced. In fact, we have gone from 85,000 unprocessed applications to 63,000. We won't stop until we get to zero. Progress is constant, and I commend the work of my colleague and her team.
What we don't talk about enough is the risk that was posed by the old system. When I have heard certain questions about that, I have been a bit perplexed. In 2010, the Auditor General said that if we didn't modernize our systems, we'd be headed straight for a wall, and we'd be jeopardizing the benefits of millions of Quebeckers and Canadians. I think that's a risk we couldn't take if we wanted to act responsibly for the Canadians we serve, and it was entirely appropriate to do what we did. It took a while. We came to power in 2015, and it's now 2026. However, I think measures should have been taken in 2010. It would have been completely irresponsible not to modernize the benefit delivery system. On that note, knowing that 7.7 million Canadians are receiving their correct benefit amounts on time thanks to a system that is no longer at risk, that no longer has any vulnerabilities and that will ultimately save money, I think it was the fair and responsible thing to do.