Mr. Speaker, I will be very happy when the crowd disperses and the joy of being able to leave school early is expressed.
Last March, during budget session, I asked the government why its budget offered so little for seniors. This was not being humorous on my part. The Canadian Medical Association said that it failed Canadian seniors. CARP said that financial security for seniors was not on the agenda. The government told seniors to keep waiting for more funding and resources, but last week we learned that seniors will now be waiting indefinitely for a plan, waiting indefinitely for a national seniors strategy.
Just weeks ago, there was a glimmer of hope. This House passed Motion No. 106, the motion from the Liberal MP for Nickel Belt. His motion, now being studied in HUMA, the human resources committee, states the following in part (c):
ask the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities to study and report back to the House on important issues such as increasing income security for vulnerable seniors and ensuring quality of life and equality for all seniors via the development of a National Seniors Strategy
The Liberals supported this motion and celebrated its passing, which allowed them to look good, but when I asked point-blank if the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development would commit to having a national seniors strategy after this study, the minister was very noncommittal.
Seniors are looking for answers. HUMA was asked to study this issue, and for what? Are the member for Nickel Belt and his caucus happy with just another report with recommendations that will surely go unanswered, like so many before? Recommendations are already out there, plenty of them. Most simply need to be implemented.
Seniors deserve better. They deserve action. The government does not seem to comprehend the considerable consequences of our changing demographic. We need to make sure that our institutions and vital public services are strong and ready to meet the challenge of providing necessary services efficiently and effectively for our seniors.
All partners need to be working together on this: the federal government, provincial governments, territories, municipalities, care providers, seniors organizations, and most importantly, seniors themselves. No one in this country should have to age in poverty, insecurity, and isolation. As the number of Canadian seniors increases, we urgently need to have a plan in place to meet their needs and ensure that everyone can age with dignity.
We fully support the Canadian Medical Association in their reasonable demands for a plan. In fact, the NDP has been proudly fighting this fight in this Parliament for years. Over 50,000 Canadians have added their voices to call for a national seniors strategy to meet the growing and evolving needs of our aging population. The Alliance for a National Seniors Strategy joins together people with first-hand experience, people we should be listening to. If they are asking for a plan, it is not politics; it is because we need one. This is very serious.
I will ask my question again: will the government commit to a national seniors strategy, yes or no? If it is noncommittal, that means no. If so, did it purposely mislead this House when passing Motion No. 106?