Mr. Speaker, on April 13, I asked the Prime Minister why he has not yet appointed a minister for seniors. This is a very important question because one in six Canadians is a senior. There are already more seniors in Canada than youth. In 13 short years, one in four Canadians will be a senior. It is extremely important that our country is prepared for this critical change in Canada. We need the federal government to make this one of its highest priorities. We need the Prime Minister to appoint a minister for seniors, and we need a national seniors strategy.
Unfortunately, we have a federal government now that is playing politics with seniors. The Prime Minister has appointed a minister for youth, himself; a minister for families, children, and social development; but not a minister for seniors.
In the last Parliament there was a minister for seniors, but this government thinks that some Canadians are more important than others, that youth, families, and children are more important than seniors.
The minister of families admitted at committee that the Liberals will not appoint a minister for seniors because they believe ministers for groups of people are only good for photo ops. Why does the minister think that seniors are only good for photo ops? Why does the minister think that the ministries of youth and families are only good for photo ops?
Canadian seniors built this great country and continue to have a very positive impact. They make important contributions to families, workplaces, and communities. As the official opposition critic for seniors, I have met with many seniors across Canada. They are very concerned with the approach the government is taking. Time and again I am told the Prime Minister should appoint a minister for seniors, just like the previous government did. They also ask for the government to create a national strategy for seniors.
I recently attended a round table with seniors in my riding of Langley—Aldergrove. They requested two things, a national seniors strategy and a minister for seniors.
An organization called 411 Seniors Centre Society wrote to the Prime Minister recently, highlighting the many unique needs of seniors and how concerned its members are that there is no minister for seniors. The letter reads, “We discovered that six ministers have mandates to address specific issues related to seniors. A further seven ministers will be dealing with matters which, while not addressing seniors specifically, will have implications for us. We are concerned that these arrangements carry the potential for fragmentation and even contradiction. Instead, we ask that you act to ensure a focused, coordinated, and comprehensive approach to policy and programs addressing seniors' issues. Our preference would be that you appoint a minister responsible for seniors to coordinate and monitor progress.”
Canadian seniors are very concerned with the government's broken promises. However, it is never too late to do the right thing. I encourage the government to keep the promises it made, respect all Canadians equally, and work constructively with all members of Parliament. I ask the government to appoint a minister for seniors and to work with us on a national seniors strategy.