Mr. Chair, at this time of night we are a bit shaky in our presentations.
I want to say to the member for Edmonton—Strathcona that on June 16, 2009, when we passed the NDP's opposition day motion on pensions, there was a unanimous vote in this place. Clearly, people realized it was time for a discussion on pensions.
So we began that national discussion and the parliamentary secretary was criss-crossing the country, as I was. I do not know whether I have ever related this story to the member or not, but when I came to the member's riding, a woman took me aside and told me that she makes about $1,160 a month and in Edmonton, to get by, she has to go to a food bank.
I have been trying strenuously in this place to get it across to the government that, yes, there is a place for the measures that the government has taken on TFSAs, income splitting and other things. Nobody is arguing that point. But the government has to take that lens and put it over on the people who are struggling.
The member for Burlington just talked about the timeframe it would take to increase the CPP. If we got our great wish and it was doubled, it would take 35 years. There is no doubt of that.
There has to be an immediate response to poverty among seniors, and that simply is infusing $700 million directly into the GIS right away.