Mr. Speaker, I asked a very important question about seniors. The government had just announced, with great fanfare, that it was going to be increasing the amount of taxes Canadian seniors pay. It was not good news for Canadian seniors back in December.
On December 8, I asked the Prime Minister, and I received an answer from the Minister of Finance that they were balancing their election promises, that the government was going to reduce the amount Canadian seniors could contribute to their tax-free savings plans. Over half of the tax-free savings plans in Canada are used by seniors. They put money away so that they can save it to support themselves.
It is good to see seniors contributing by putting money away. Right now in Canada, every sixth person is a senior. In 14 short years, one in four Canadians will be a senior. A very large percentage of the Canadian population will be seniors. There is a dramatic foundational shift in Canada.
It is important that seniors continue to be productive citizens within Canada but also that they prepare while they age. That is why it is so important and why so many seniors contribute to tax-free savings plans. The government said it was going to take that away, because it had made a lot of promises to Canadians, and it was going to balance what it was doing on the backs of Canadian seniors.
During the election, Liberals made a lot of promises. They promised that they were going to do a lot for seniors.
Just a few days ago, the organization known as CARP was outraged. It said, “Finance ministers will not move CPP reform forward”, as had been promised. “CARP members are outraged—all Canadians should be”. It said that the government is not going to do what it promised it would do. What was that promise? It was going to make these changes to help seniors within three months of the election, which would have been January 19, just a week ago. Liberals have just told seniors that they are not going to keep those promises. Organizations like CARP are outraged, and rightly so.
The question remaining is why the government is trying to keep these promises on the backs of Canadian seniors. It is just not right. The other major concern I am hearing from Canadians is that the government does not have a minister for seniors. It is important. When one in six Canadians is a senior, why does the government not have any representation for seniors?
Will the government appoint a minister for seniors, and will it stop attacking the savings accounts of Canadian seniors?