Mr. Speaker, this new mask is not blue, but I think it will work.
Another fundamental component of this strategy is the additional support provided by old age security and the guaranteed income supplement.
Since we took office in 2015, 25% fewer seniors live in poverty. Like the retirement age, the Liberal government restored the eligibility age for old age security to 65 after the previous government’s decision to raise it to 67. Without those changes, our vulnerable seniors would have faced a much higher risk of living in poverty, which is not acceptable.
The government also introduced the guaranteed income supplement top-up. Since 2017, seniors who live alone are receiving an extra $947 per year through GIS. This is helping 900,000 vulnerable seniors across Canada, of which 70% are women.
We know that, on average, women live longer than men. We also know that many older people who have the opportunity to enjoy a longer life are having an increasingly difficult time making ends meet as the years go by.
As the Liberal government clearly stated in the throne speech, our seniors need more help, and the House plans to give it to them. The Bloc Québécois, however, voted against the throne speech, clearly demonstrating that its members are not interested in a comprehensive plan to help Canada's seniors.
The government made it abundantly clear that it will increase the OAS by 10% for people 75 and up. It will also increase the Canada pension plan survivor's pension in recognition of seniors' years of work and progress, which have put them in a much better position than their forebears and prevented more of them from living in poverty.
The Bloc Québécois seems to think that all this work on the part of the government should be swapped for $110.
Throughout the pandemic, I have been in touch with seniors in Orléans to hear how they are doing and what I, as a local representative, and our government can do to support them. During one of our round tables, they shared with me that they wanted to see a pan-Canadian standard for long-term care.
Pan-Canadian standards for long-term care was a key feature in the Speech from the Throne. The Bloc voted against it. We have seen the biggest tragedies of this crisis in our long-term care homes. It should be clear to every member of the House that something needs to be done to ensure this never happens again. However, the Bloc did not support it.
The government’s work to build pan-Canadian standards for long-term care, understanding the importance of collaboration with provinces and territories, will prevent needless suffering and increase the quality of life for our seniors.
For me, this is a very important debate, and I have one thing to share in conclusion.
I would like to elaborate on those elements.
I would like to talk about some of the key things we have done, and I want to ensure the House realizes that this was not just one single payment. There were a multitude of aspects of our support for seniors. I was at a round table with the United Way. I was happy to see the government provide $350 million for charities and not-for-profit organizations: $9 million for United Way Canada, $100 million for food banks and local food organizations and $50 million for previously funded New Horizons for Seniors projects that could be modified to meet the needs of seniors. This one was particularly important in my community for our local seniors organization, Carrefour santé d'Orléans.
In conclusion, I have the greatest respect for our seniors, and I feel they are too often taken for granted. We must always strive to do a better job of supporting them and to bring in policies that will make a real difference in their lives.
Governing means making decisions that work, and the throne speech described many different ways in which the government will help seniors. The government will stay focused on what it is doing and build on its proven experience supporting seniors and fighting poverty.