Mr. Speaker, June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and, as the official opposition critic for seniors, I am particularly pleased to address this matter today.
I should also add that as a GTA MP, I am very pleased that the University of Toronto will be the host site for the International Elder Abuse Awareness Conference next week, a conference predicated on the statement, “World Day...Five Years Later”.
In essence, the statement celebrates past successes in addressing elder abuse but ponders what is yet to be done. As a legislator, I can say that strides have been made during the past few years but there is still much to do.
For example, as far back as 2003, then Liberal MP, Diane Marleau, presented Bill C-439, an act to establish the office of the ombudsman for older adult justice and the Canadian older adult justice agency. That legislative package was one of the first to raise the issue of elder abuse to the national stage. It was also part of an effort to underscore the looming issues associated with an aging population, issues that need our immediate attention.
If we fail to address these issues with a comprehensive national vision, we risk the long-term sustainability of national social programs, we promise to hinder our productivity and, worst of all, we will have failed in our moral obligation to protect an important segment of our society.
In the next 20 years, a large portion of our society will have celebrated their 65th birthday. Statistics Canada estimates that Canada's population over the age of 65 could reach an unprecedented 10.9 million by 2036. With this, as the Canadian population continues to age, new financial and logistical challenges will emerge; issues that include elder abuse, poverty and quality of life.
In a country like Canada, it is unacceptable that senior citizens anywhere would be subjected to abuse, poverty and squalor during their retirement years. Governments and societal agencies must take the lead and be prepared to step up and do their share. Resting on our laurels should never be a substitute for future action.
We must consider and implement private and public retirement savings options, stiff and unwavering Criminal Code penalties for those who abuse, mistreat or deceive the elderly, and decisive interventions when issues of ill health, poverty and isolation are identified.
Like the delegates who will attend the International Elder Abuse Awareness Conference next week, I am anxious to take the steps, along with my party, that are required to end elder abuse in Canada and around the world.
In the spirit of co-operation that should more often permeate this place, I would urge rapid government action to effectively tackle these important issues and I would offer my support for the same.