Madam Speaker, it is easy for Conservatives to stand in the House of Commons and say that the government has done much to improve the lives of seniors and that there have been many measures introduced to try and ease the economic burden that our seniors carry.
The truth remains, however, that these measures have not been enough and we continue to fail senior citizens. I cannot stress enough that despite the work of the past years, over a quarter of a million of Canada's seniors continue to live in poverty. The small gains in benefits that the government has granted them has not changed this fact.
The government had several opportunities to change that reality, but instead choose to spend money in a frivolous manner. If, for example, the government had made a few conference calls instead of hosting a $668 million photo op, every senior in our country could be living above the poverty line right now.
Once again, why did the government refuse to take the opportunity to lift every senior in our country out of poverty?