Mr. Speaker, today is the International Day of Older Persons. With the International Year of Older Persons mere months away, it is our duty to emphasize the necessity of recognizing and protecting their rights.
Despite the Minister of Finance's statement in late July that “the proposed seniors benefit reform will not take place”, our seniors are nevertheless having to cope with the disastrous consequences of the cuts this government has been championing for too long already.
If it had not been for the fight put up by seniors, the AFEAS and other golden age groups in particular, the dignity of our seniors would have been attacked once again.
It is imperative for the government to assure seniors that the pension and other social programs will be cost-of-living indexed so as to guarantee the people who built Canada and Quebec a fair and reasonable standard of living.