Mr. Speaker, I and I think members of my caucus are optimistic that having a ministry of social development and a minister assigned specifically to social development may result in more attention to the issue of social development. I am willing to concede that but I do have to comment on some of the parliamentary secretary's remarks.
I do not believe we have done enough to make sure that everyone who is eligible for the guaranteed income supplement is getting it. It really is not up to members of Parliament to knock on every door and ask seniors whether they may be eligible for this. The government is the one that knows who they are, how much they make and whether they are eligible. It is through their income tax returns that the government can see quite plainly if a person is making less than the $12,000 a year, or whatever the cutoff is, if they are eligible and how much they are eligible for.
I believe the onus is on government to make sure it gets this necessary income supplement to everyone who is eligible for it.