House of Commons Hansard #66 of the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was seniors.

Topics

Opposition Motion—Financial Situation of the ElderlyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Mr. Speaker, what we just witnessed was more grandstanding by a New Democratic member of Parliament, trying to take ownership of an issue that he is hoping will ultimately fly. The reality of it is that under this Prime Minister, one would have to look to the beginning of medicare to see when there was such a proactive national government trying to implement a national pharmacare program.

The NDP is incapable of drafting and participating in the negotiations that are necessary to allow us to move forward. One has to be in a government position to do those negotiations with different provinces and territories. My objective is to see the program implemented, as opposed to grandstanding on the issue, and I believe that we are on the right course.

Opposition Motion—Financial Situation of the ElderlyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

Liberal

Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to listen to the factual information the member is putting on the floor today for people to consider.

We hear continually, in particular from the NDP, about promises that were made when I was in grade 9. I do not remember any of them. I apologize. I was not really paying attention back then, but maybe I should have been, knowing I would be held accountable for them today.

Nonetheless, the reality of the situation is—

Opposition Motion—Financial Situation of the ElderlyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Deputy Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton

The hon. member for Timmins—James Bay is rising on a point of order.

Opposition Motion—Financial Situation of the ElderlyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

Mr. Speaker, it is very clear. I did not say that because he does not remember what happened 30 years ago, it is not on the record. Maybe he did not remember it, but Liberals made the promise. I am asking him to remember what happened now.

Opposition Motion—Financial Situation of the ElderlyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Deputy Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton

I think we are getting into debate on the matter before the House.

The hon. member for Kingston and the Islands has the floor.

Opposition Motion—Financial Situation of the ElderlyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

Liberal

Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON

Mr. Speaker, the member for Timmins—James Bay made such an excellent point this morning about bringing a rational point of order forward in this House. He accused a Conservative member earlier this morning of using the point of order to intervene in proceedings, and that is exactly what he just did here. The hypocrisy in using other issues clearly falls into his interventions in this House.

Would the member from Winnipeg like to comment and set the record straight as to what our commitment has been regarding pharmacare, at least from recently elected Liberals, and what we have done to get to the point where we are today?

Opposition Motion—Financial Situation of the ElderlyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Mr. Speaker, I trust I will get additional time because of the interruption of the point of order.

To be very clear, all one needs to do is take a look at the throne speech, where once again we put Canada into a great position. It is the first time in 40 or 50 years that we can actually realize a national pharmacare program. However, it has to be done in co-operation, working with the different provinces. If we can negotiate and do what we demonstrated in the past, we will continue to move forward and we will see a national program.

NDP members are often described as Liberals in a hurry, and that might be something one could apply in this particular case. The NDP just needs to be a little more patient and—

Opposition Motion—Financial Situation of the ElderlyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

1:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Deputy Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton

The hon. member for Salaberry—Suroît.

Opposition Motion—Financial Situation of the ElderlyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

1:50 p.m.

Bloc

Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Salaberry—Suroît, QC

Mr. Speaker, what I understood from my colleague's speech is that his government wants to create two classes of seniors: those aged 65 to 75 and those aged 75 and over.

I can tell him that the cost of rent stays the same whether a senior is 65 or 75 years old. The increase in the cost of drugs is also the same for seniors whether they are 65 or 75 years old. I do not know whether my colleague is the one who does the shopping in his household. If he is the one who does the shopping and who keeps track of the family finances, then he should know that the cost of food has increased by at least 20% in Quebec. Housing and services cost a senior $2,000 a month.

Can my colleague tell me whether seniors today are able to pay for private accommodations with services and fulfill all of their responsibilities with the amount the government is currently giving them?

Opposition Motion—Financial Situation of the ElderlyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

1:50 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Mr. Speaker, let me first make it very clear that the OAS is going nowhere. In fact, it was this Prime Minister and government that actually reversed the decision of Stephen Harper and allowed the retirement age to be 65 as opposed to 67, reinforcing the importance of having OAS at age 65.

The reality is also that we need to recognize that there is a difference between a senior who is 75 years old and one who is 65 years old, so we tried to get as much money as we could to the individuals who are really in need of that financial resource. It is a responsible approach to the issue. In no way does this take away from the OAS; rather, it reinforces the need to recognize that some seniors in our society need additional finances.

I would think the Bloc would also recognize that need and recognize that there is a difference as one gets older.

Opposition Motion—Financial Situation of the ElderlyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

February 25th, 2021 / 1:50 p.m.

Bloc

Martin Champoux Bloc Drummond, QC

Mr. Speaker, I want to say that I will be sharing my time with my colleague from Salaberry—Suroît.

First, I want to apologize to my colleagues who were offended when I spoke in the House a little while ago on this very subject. At the time, I referred to seniors as “old” people. I was told that I should not say that and should instead call them “seniors”. I therefore apologize to my colleagues who were offended by that and who are apparently more thin-skinned than the people I was referring to. Indeed, all the seniors I spoke with afterwards to tell them how sorry I was said that they realized that I used those words affectionately, like calling my father “my old man”. What I meant by that is that our “old” folks have thicker skin than today's youngsters. They are made of sterner stuff, and they are proud. They are also quite ticked off, to remain within the realm of parliamentary language; I could have chosen a much stronger word. Even though they are as generous, available and active as they possibly can, they feel like what they get in return is not gratitude, only contempt.

In a way, that is what the motion from my colleague, the member for Shefford, is all about: recognizing the precarious situation that seniors are in and fixing it. We owe them that; they built our society.

Earlier, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons asked my colleague from Manicouagan how many people would benefit from the $110 monthly increase. The answer is in fact that we will all benefit. The whole society will because, in the secretary's own words, none of the money that we give to seniors will end up in a savings account. Seniors will spend that money, reinvesting it in our society. Collectively, we will benefit from treating our seniors better.

If we want to look a bit closer at figures and give people an idea of how many people could benefit from the increase, I would say that 20 years ago, 13% of the Quebec population was 65 years of age or older. Today, it is estimated that the ratio is around 20%, and it keeps increasing. Five years from now, in 2026, it could reach around 24 or 25%.

Another shocking statistic is that in 2015, 50% of seniors had incomes so low that they were exempt from paying income tax. That figure was 20% in 1997. This means that, between 1997 and 2015, there was a 30% increase in the number of seniors whose income is too low to pay income tax. That gives you an idea of the number of people who will directly benefit from the Bloc's proposed increase.

Life expectancies have been increasing for quite some time now, and needs will only continue to grow as well; those are established facts. The most irresponsible thing we could do right now is not to invest in the quality of life of our seniors. Health care is expensive and these costs will continue to rise. We would have to be pretty out of touch with reality to stand around and do nothing. Needs are evolving, as my colleague from Longueuil—Saint-Hubert can confirm, and there is a need for more social housing and for more services that meet the needs of seniors, especially in health care centres.

I want to talk a bit about seniors' buying power. It is important because that is what this debate is all about. I also want to mention the Institut de recherche et d'informations socioéconomiques, or IRIS, who did a study a few years ago. The fairly recent data from that 2018 study show that single seniors aged 65 and up living in Montreal and whose sole income is derived from the public pension system fall considerably short of what could be considered a dignified retirement. According to the IRIS, the annual revenue threshold to ensure a basic level of comfort ranges from $21,000 to $28,000, depending on the city. We are not talking about a lavish lifestyle, merely a tiny step above the poverty line.

In 1975, the old age security benefit represented 20% of the average industrial wage. Today, is it only 13%. This might be viewed as a positive sign in a way, because it means that wages have gone up. That may be right, but it also has a downside because workers' buying power also increased, as did the cost of living. Seniors are left behind with their insufficient pension benefits, and we see the results today. Their pension is no longer enough to keep them out of poverty and free of debt.

Nowadays we use the market basket measure. The estimated annual revenue required in 2021 for Montreal residents to meet their basic needs like shelter, food and clothing is $18,821. By adding together pension benefits, tax credits and the guaranteed income supplement, pensioners will receive about $18,380.

These seniors are far from being able to spend money on entertainment, play bingo or go out to a restaurant from time to time. What is probably the most heartbreaking is that they are far from being able to spoil their grandchildren a little, something that every senior wants to be able to do in the autumn of their life.

I will say it again. By failing to invest in seniors, we are depriving ourselves of a great asset. These people may be retired but that does not mean that they are not full of ideas, projects, goodwill and, often, energy. What is more, they are an extraordinary source of knowledge that could benefit the younger generation that spends 18 hours a day glued to a screen. Our seniors are an extraordinary source of potential, as long as we keep them in good health, as long as we keep them in a position where they can contribute to society and as long as we ensure that they have a decent standard of living.

I want to give members an idea of what I have seen and experienced in my riding of Drummond.

Investing in our seniors means that we have more people like Réjeanne Comeau, who along with her friends at FADOQ, found a way to organize a massive blood drive in Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Conseil two weeks ago in the midst of a pandemic. It was a big success.

Francine Leroux from Saint-Lucien is an extraordinary woman. Her project to build a space for the Cercle des fermières in her community is nearing completion. This space will benefit the entire region. Community kitchens and activities to end isolation will be held there. This is a fantastic group.

I am also thinking of Francine Julien, who is working hard to improve the lives of seniors in Saint-Guillaume, and Marie-France Roberge of Brin de bonheur, who organizes activities to help senior women in Drummondville feel less isolated. The organization is doing such a great job that it has to turn people away because its space is too small.

I would be remiss if I did not mention Jean-Guy Moreau, who has made it his mission to help people 70 and up get moving by organizing pickleball leagues. Mr. Moreau is deeply committed to seniors. He is actually the son-in-law of James Price, whose 100th birthday I brought to the House's attention in December. I should also mention that the member for Cape Breton—Canso joined me for the occasion because Mr. Price is a native of Louisbourg, which is in his riding.

In short, the Liberal government sees the Bloc Québécois's proposal to increase monthly OAS payments by $110 as an unnecessary expense. The Bloc, in contrast, sees it as an investment. As members have said, the Liberals have not yet kept their promise to increase the OAS by 10% for those 75 and up, and we do not know if they ever will.

As a society, we owe a debt to our seniors. This is not a frivolous thing. The bare minimum the government needs to do is ensure quality health care by increasing health transfers to the provinces and Quebec, as they have asked, and increasing the OAS for the people who built Quebec and Canada. This is about respect. We owe them respect, and I hope the House will adopt this motion.

Opposition Motion—Financial Situation of the ElderlyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

2 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

I have to interrupt the hon. member, but he will have two and a half more minutes when we resume debate.

Auditor General of CanadaRoutine Proceedings

2 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

Pursuant to subsection 7(5) of the Auditor General Act, it is my duty to lay upon the table the February 2021 reports of the Auditor General of Canada.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(g), this report is deemed to have been permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.

Black History MonthStatements by Members

2 p.m.

Liberal

Adam van Koeverden Liberal Milton, ON

Mr. Speaker, throughout the month of February, Canadians have been celebrating black excellence and honouring the many contributions Black Canadians have made in building this nation. It is so true that Black history is Canadian history. However, it is the future of this country we are focused on building.

Black leaders and Black-led organizations I have met with recently are asking for a more resilient, fair and just Canada. I met with the Foundation for Black Communities this week, an organization that exists to ensure every Black person in Canada can thrive and that all black communities have agency in deciding their own future.

Yesterday, I joined a virtual visit at my local library in Milton with the New York Times' best-selling author Ijeoma Oluo who was discussing her book So You Want to Talk About Race, which is on how anti-racism is essential to creating connected and empathetic communities. The event in Milton, at the public library, was part of the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton's virtual Black History Month program entitled, “Our Legacy Guides Our Future”.

I want to thank these organizations for their tireless efforts and advocacy. I wish Black Canadians a happy, righteous and constructive Black History Month.

COVID-19 Emergency ResponseStatements by Members

2 p.m.

Conservative

Glen Motz Conservative Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government's response to COVID-19 has been and remains to be incoherent, constantly changing and without a publicly shared plan. This failed response is due to the government choosing to ignore the basic principles of emergency management that are normally used during pandemics.

Canada's emergency management experts, who were unexplainably muted during this pandemic, have clear prewritten response plans based on hard-learned lessons from previous pandemics. These plans would have allowed leaders to rapidly minimize the impacts on our society, advise the public of the scope of the hazard and publicly issue a complete written plan to address it.

This failure to follow emergency management guidelines is resulting in massive collateral damage to our social fabrics, mental health and other health conditions, our children, our economy, and our civil liberties. Lockdowns and restrictions are short-term, not continuous, solutions to bide the government time to get permanent solutions such as vaccines and rapid testing in place. Canadians are demanding to see the Liberal plan to end this perpetual pandemic.

Canadian Polish CongressStatements by Members

2 p.m.

Liberal

Marie-France Lalonde Liberal Orléans, ON

Mr. Speaker, I recently had the opportunity to virtually connect with the constituents of Orléans and a long-time leader of Ottawa's Polish community, Marek Kiejna. Mr. Kiejna has recently renewed his role as the regional director for eastern Canada in the Canadian Polish Congress, an organization that coordinates cultural events, community activities and promotes international co-operation between Canada and Poland.

I appreciated the chance to catch up on the goings-on of this vibrant community and hear how it has adjusted for the pandemic. Like so many of Canada's cultural organizations, it has had to make changes to many of its annual traditions and eagerly awaits the day its members can celebrate with each other once again.

I want to thank Marek Kiejna for his many years of leadership and volunteerism and congratulate him on his renewed role. Further, I want to thank the Canadian Polish Congress for its dedicated work to raise awareness of Polish history and heritage in Canada.

Jackie VautourStatements by Members

2:05 p.m.

Bloc

Mario Beaulieu Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honour the memory of the Acadian activist Jackie Vautour, who passed away on February 7 at the age of 92.

Jackie Vautour spent his entire life fighting on behalf of the 228 families whose land was expropriated by Ottawa in 1969 to create Kouchibouguac National Park. What the federal government did to those Acadian families warrants an apology, at the very least. Depriving poor fishers and farmers of their fishing rights, their land and their homes was inhuman.

Pierre Elliott Trudeau and his minister responsible for national parks, Jean Chrétien, drove thousands of people from their homes in the 1960s and 1970s.

Fortunately, the federal government no longer has the right to expropriate land from families to create parks, and that is thanks to people like Jackie Vautour, who stood up for themselves.

On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I offer our deepest condolences to his loved ones, especially his wife, Yvonne.

Official LanguagesStatements by Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

Mr. Speaker, I am so proud and pleased with the white paper on modernizing the Official Languages Act that we unveiled on Friday. This is the first time since the 1980s that the federal government has put a clear and precise vision for Canada's linguistic duality in writing.

As the only Liberal Acadian MP from Nova Scotia, I am proud to have contributed to advancing the vitality of our communities. I also know that my father would be proud to see a plan that reflects all Canadians. This plan will ensure the vitality of our institutions, francophone immigration, the promotion of French across Canada, including in Quebec, and much more.

I want to thank the Minister of Official Languages, the members of the Standing Committee on Official Languages, the members of caucus from official language minority communities and all the stakeholders who worked on and contributed to this development.

We are now working on the bill in order to clarify our vision.

Official LanguagesStatements by Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

I would ask all members to please mute their microphones if they are not speaking. I am not sure what it is today, but they seem to be popping on all on their own.

Official LanguagesStatements by Members

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

Glen Motz Conservative Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, when the previous member was speaking, the French interpretation was overpowering the English, and I could not hear any of his speech in English.

Official LanguagesStatements by Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

We will have our technical people look into it.

The hon. member for Regina—Lewvan.

Community InitiativesStatements by Members

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

Warren Steinley Conservative Regina—Lewvan, SK

Mr. Speaker, it has been a tough year for all Canadians, and for people in my riding it is no different. Today, I want to recognize a few initiatives that are helping those in need.

A Hill Avenue florist ran a program where it matched flowers purchases and donated them to long-term care facilities, brightening the day of senior citizens who have been suffering through social isolation.

The Regina community fridge organizers are now building a second location in the Cathedral neighbourhood to provide donated fresh food to people in need.

Another local business, Wheat Queens and Prairie Things, generously donated 75 gift baskets to seniors citizens who were victims of a fraud scam over the Christmas holidays.

I also want to highlight Sandeep and the volunteers of the Guru Nanak Free Kitchen where members of the Sikh community in Regina have generously been donating food every week for two years to those in need.

Whether donating their time or making financial contributions, the people of Regina continue to give back. Please join me in thanking the charities, businesses and individuals who have given so much and will continue to help those in need.

Official LanguagesStatements by Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

Yvan Baker Liberal Etobicoke Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, my riding, Etobicoke Centre, is in Toronto.

My family is not francophone, but we are francophiles. When I was growing up, my parents were determined that I would learn French. They believed that an appreciation of both official languages was part of who we are as Canadians. However, since my public school board did not offer a French immersion program, my family sent me to a private French school, the Toronto French School, where I received my education in French.

It is clear to our francophone communities that it will take much more than a symbol and the ability to speak French to make sure we achieve the most important thing, that is, true equality for our two official languages. For that reason, and to protect the French language and culture, we must take action to provide access to justice, services and education in French across Canada. The white paper tabled by our Minister of Official Languages presents a plan that does exactly that. Our government is proposing tangible measures to support our francophone communities and to support who we are as Canadians, today and in the future.

Francisco PortugalStatements by Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

Marci Ien Liberal Toronto Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, this past week, Toronto Centre lost a beloved member of the St. James Town community, Dr. Francisco Portugal.

Dr. Portugal emigrated from Manila to Toronto in the 1970s where he completed his medical studies and opened his own clinic. He was known for his infectious smile and his willingness to help, a willingness that went way beyond his profession. He was a community worker, an entrepreneur and philanthropist.

Among his many notable achievements, Dr. Portugal advocated for Filipino caregivers in the 1980s. He was the former vice-president of the Filipino Centre Toronto and most recently founded CARP, which organizes medical professionals to bring health as well as dental care to those in need in the Philippines.

Toronto Centre has lost a legend who will be greatly missed by family, friends, patients and staff, but his legacy lives on. We thank Dr. Portugal for serving us so well.

COVID-19 Emergency ResponseStatements by Members

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Damien Kurek Conservative Battle River—Crowfoot, AB

Mr. Speaker, here is the COVID vaccine rollout summed up: grand announcements, then failure; backroom deals with dictatorships; platitudes and promises with little substance; then constantly evolving deadlines.

Let me now explain what the Liberals are good at. They take failure and masterfully spin it to proclaim victory. We will eventually get vaccines, but we will not forget the lives lost, hundreds of billions of dollars of lost economic productivity and the months of uncertainty.

The sad reality is that this trend reflects every Liberal promise, announcement and tag line followed by incompetence and mismanagement. Then, finally, they either condemn the promise to eternal bureaucratic misery or a result that is only a shadow of what the initial promise was.

Canada deserves better; Canada deserves competence. The Conservatives are ready to form a government that will secure our future.