Diane Ablonczy

[Elder Abuse Awareness, June 9th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, on June 15, Canada will join countries around the world in marking the fifth annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

I am pleased to say that also on June 15 there will be an International Elder Abuse Awareness Conference in Toronto. The conference will feature presentations on elder abuse initiatives across Canada and around the world. It will also focus partially on youth and intergenerational activities that promote awareness of elder abuse.

Taking action against this very serious issue begins with education, by teaching all Canadians to recognize the signs and symptoms of elder abuse and where to go for help, and empowerment, by encouraging older Canadians to speak up, individually and collectively.

We are taking steps on these two fundamentals. In budget 2008, we committed $13 million over three years to help raise awareness about elder abuse and to aid seniors and all Canadians in dealing with this issue.

As part of the initiative, we launched a national elder abuse awareness campaign in 2009. The “Elder abuse, it is time to face the reality” campaign reached out to Canadians of all ages through television, print, and the Internet.

As members know, the priority of this government is always the safety and security of Canadians. Therefore, we see the issue of elder abuse as a very serious one. That is why I am pleased to announce that we will be launching a new phase of the elder abuse awareness campaign across the country in the fall.

The campaign aims to help seniors, as well as all Canadians, recognize the signs and symptoms of elder abuse and exploitation in all its forms—physical, financial, sexual, psychological, and neglect—and to provide important information on the support that is available.

Furthermore, budget 2010 provides an additional $10 million over two years to the new horizons for seniors program, bringing the program total for the next two years to $80 million. This enhanced funding will support projects that focus on volunteering among seniors and on raising awareness about the financial exploitation of seniors.

The new horizons for seniors program also has an elder abuse awareness funding component. Through this funding, new educational and awareness resources about elder abuse will be available. These will again help improve quality of life, safety, and security for seniors and will enable non-profit organizations and coalitions to raise awareness on a national or regional level.

As the Minister of State for Seniors, I am proud of the work this government is doing to empower older Canadians. On June 15, I encourage all Canadians to focus on ways to join in the fight against elder abuse.

[Points of Order, May 6th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, this seems to be a lively day in the House.

I have been in this House for over 16 years and my point of order relates to something that was said by the hon. member for Laurier—Sainte-Marie. I gave the hon. member notice that I intended to raise this.

I recognize that in this House, members have a very broad and strongly protected right to the freedom to enter into debate and to speak their minds, and I respect that and am glad of that, but what I heard today from the member for Laurier—Sainte-Marie, the leader of the Bloc, was what I consider to be an intolerant attack on Canadians who hold beliefs that are contrary to his own. In my view, the remarks that he made were bigoted and divisive. This kind of rhetoric, in my view, is completely unacceptable in our pluralistic society.

I would point out that our country's Charter of Rights and Freedoms proudly proclaims that certain human rights are guaranteed in this country. I will read section 2 of the charter where it states:

Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: (a) freedom of conscience and religion; (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression...

I find it deeply disturbing that the Charter of Rights and the rights that are guaranteed to Canadians would come under attack in this very House through the very intolerant and specifically targeted words of the leader of the Bloc in question period.

Therefore, I would respectfully ask the Bloc leader to reconsider his language in attacking in this House the charter rights of other Canadians.

[National Volunteer Week, April 20th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise today in honour of National Volunteer Week. Others have mentioned this today. Simply put, volunteers are a big part of what makes Canada such a great place to live. From coast to coast to coast, more than 12 million volunteers are taking the time to contribute to their communities. They may be found coaching hockey, feeding the vulnerable, working at the local region and in thousands more roles that support, help and care for others.

National Volunteer Week is set aside every year to honour these men, women and young people. They contribute time, talent and, just as important, kindness of heart to those around them and make the quality of life better for everyone.

How much total time do all these generous people give every year? Thousands of hours, maybe even millions of hours of precious time? The real number is even more astounding. Canadians give over two billion hours each and every year to empower a wide variety of causes and activities, over two billion hours. The value of this work to the Canadian economy is estimated to be greater than $14 billion annually. Those are some pretty incredible numbers and they add up to the kind of society that is the envy of the world.

Our government fully recognizes the invaluable contributions volunteers make to Canada's success. That is why, in the 2010 throne speech, we committed to a new Prime Minister's award for volunteerism. This new award will honour the great work and personal sacrifices made by some outstanding individuals working as volunteers.

The throne speech also laid out our commitment to work with innovative charities to tackle social challenges. Our government recognizes that volunteers and the organizations they serve are on the front lines every day. That means they are often better placed to deliver results on a wide variety of issues facing our communities.

Of course, our government's commitment to volunteerism did not start with the 2010 throne speech, nor does it end there. In budget 2010, our government committed $10 million in additional funding to the new horizons for seniors program. This program supports projects that focus on volunteering by seniors. It contributes to initiatives that give seniors an opportunity to also mentor the next generation of volunteers and pass on their valuable skills and knowledge. Do members know that seniors volunteer more hours on average than any other age group in Canada?

The 2010 budget, which we hope the House will support, would also eliminate the disbursement quota for Canadian charities. This budget measure would provide important flexibility for Canada's not-for-profit and voluntary sector. It would deliver a change that has been very well received by our valuable charities.

National Volunteer Week gives us seven days to say thanks to Canada's volunteers, to thank them for coaching the hockey team, to thank them for working at the information desk at the hospital, to thank them for running the fundraising campaign, to thank them for planting those trees.

On behalf of the government and all Canadians, let us say “Thank you” to Canada's 12.5 million volunteers.

[Resumption of debate on Address in Reply, March 18th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, that question would more properly be directed to my colleague, the minister for international development. I was hoping for a question about seniors because that of course is my portfolio and the thrust of my speech.

It does give me though an opportunity to point out, to my colleague, to the House and to Canadians as a whole, that many retired Canadians in the seniors demographic have not only given support for these earthquake-ravaged countries, but in some cases have actually travelled to these countries to provide practical, on the ground assistance. We are proud of all the volunteer work that our seniors are engaged in both here at home and, in some cases, abroad.

[Resumption of debate on Address in Reply, March 18th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question and for his concerns for seniors in this country. It is true that although we have a very low level of poverty among seniors, less than 5% and we are proud of that, there are some who do struggle.

As I mentioned earlier, we have brought in a number of measures to assist such individuals. The OAS and GIS already provide an income level for seniors that is slightly above the low income cut-off level in our country. In addition, there are programs to assist them in maintaining their homes and, to some degree, retrofitting them for special needs.

These programs, OAS and GIS, already contribute $33 billion a year to our seniors and we continue to monitor those levels. There was an increase in GIS in 2006 and the amount of GIS also rises each time the cost of living increases every quarter.

We will monitor this issue and I thank my colleague for raising it.

[Resumption of debate on Address in Reply, March 18th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to advise you that I will be splitting my time with my colleague, the hon. member for Niagara West—Glanbrook.

As the champion for seniors in this government, I am privileged to speak about how older Canadians will help fulfill the pledge in the Speech from the Throne to build a stronger Canada now and in the future.

Since coming to office, this government has taken a multifaceted approach to supporting older Canadians and it will continue to do so. It is no secret that Canada has an aging population. Indeed, one in seven Canadians today is over the age of 65, but in two short decades more than one in four Canadians will be a senior.

This demographic shift will have a profound effect on Canadian society and, thanks to our superior health care and quality of life, Canadians now enjoy one of the longest life expectancies in the world. The sheer numbers of new seniors, however, will pose a challenge to the sustainability of our social programs and economy. We must be ready to meet the needs of an aging population and harness the energy and expertise of this invaluable resource for the benefit of all Canadians. I assure the House that we are working hard to be ready.

Who are Canada's seniors? Are they people who spend most of their time travelling or on the golf course? Do they mostly stay at home, busy with family or perhaps caring for grand kids? Are they often engaged in their communities as volunteers or active in service organizations? Perhaps seniors simply change their work-life balance somewhat and are still engaged in the workplace to some degree. Are they individuals who now spend more time mentoring and coaching others, sharing their life lessons in various ways? Of course, seniors are all of these things and many more.

We must be careful not to impose preconceived ideas about seniors. That is why, as one of our first steps, this government created the National Seniors Council to help us understand both the concerns and aspirations of Canadian seniors.

Last year, the council held round tables across the country to gather evidence from seniors about two key issues: volunteering and positive aging. The council's report will increase our understanding of how seniors stay healthy, active, and engaged and continue contributing to society.

Certainly we already know that many seniors stay active through volunteer activities. In fact, studies show that seniors who volunteer put in more hours per year than any other age group. With the replacement value of all volunteer work in Canada priced at about $14 billion, the financial impact of seniors in our communities is very evident.

However, the value of their contribution goes beyond dollars and cents. Seniors benefit from building social networks and staying physically and mentally active, and others in society benefit, gaining fresh perspectives and the intangible wisdom that can only come from a lifetime of experience.

To encourage positive aging, the Government of Canada provides $35 million each year to enable seniors to engage with each other and mentor younger Canadians. I am pleased to note that budget 2010 provides an additional $5 million per year for the new horizons for seniors program, bringing the total to $40 million.

The Government of Canada has also undertaken several initiatives to enhance the financial security of seniors. Each year, more than four million seniors receive old age security benefits and three million receive a cheque from the Canada pension plan. In addition, the guaranteed income supplement provides extra support to seniors with little or no other income.

We are proud that poverty among seniors in Canada has fallen from a rate of 21% in 1980 to less than 5% in 2007. That is one of the lowest rates in the world. To assist the lowest income seniors who want to increase their income level, we now allow them to earn up to $3,500 and still receive GIS. In addition, we have increased the age credit for more than two million modest income seniors in recent years. We also introduced tax free savings accounts and income splitting for Canada's pensioners. All told, we are providing over $2 billion in tax relief for seniors and pensioners, in addition to over $33 billion a year for OAS and GIS.

We are continuing to work with the provinces and territories to further strengthen Canada's retirement income system.

One of the biggest expenses for seniors is the upkeep of their homes, yet many seniors want to stay in their own homes for as long as they can. The Government of Canada, through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's renovation programs, offers financial assistance for low-income households, including seniors. These programs assist with home modifications and adaptations to allow seniors and persons with disabilities to live independently in their own homes.

Under the affordable housing initiative, the federal government has committed almost $2 billion over five years to improve and build affordable housing and help the homeless. These programs benefit low-income Canadians, including seniors. The federal government also provides close to another $2 billion each year to support social housing, approximately one-third of which is occupied by seniors.

In Canada's economic action plan, we injected another $400 million over two years for the construction of housing units specifically for low-income seniors. New handrails in the bathroom may increase seniors' comfort levels in their homes, but safety issues go far beyond nuts and bolts. It is another hard truth that between 4% and 10% of seniors in Canada experience abuse of some kind, whether physical, financial or emotional.

Our government has dedicated $13 million over three years to help seniors and others recognize the signs and symptoms of elder abuse and to know how to get help. In addition to a national awareness campaign, we are also developing tools and resources to help front line professionals in the health, financial and justice sectors to deal with this issue. In this fiscal year, we have also invested in 16 different elder abuse awareness projects across the country through the new horizons for seniors program.

The Speech from the Throne also commits the government to create Seniors Day. This would become an annual occasion to honour the contributions of older Canadians and underscore how they continue to shape the fabric of our nation. Seniors Day would be a natural symbolic step for a government that has such a solid track record on seniors issues. It would allow us to celebrate the value that Canadian seniors add to our society and the respect and honour we want to give back to them.

In closing, let me emphasize that seniors have helped build this country. They not only have our thanks and gratitude, but also our support. Their government is committed to working with them.

[Tourism Industry, December 3rd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, tax harmonization, as the House knows, is a matter under provincial jurisdiction. We have to respect that.

At the federal level, I can assure my colleague and the House that we will continue to deliver for tourism, as the House saw in the economic action plan, with $40 million over two years, additional money for the Canadian Tourism Commission to promote Canada as a travel destination, $150 million over two years for national parks and historic sites, and $100 million over two years for marquee tourism events that draw thousands to Canada. We are supporting tourism.

[Tourism Industry, December 3rd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, today our Prime Minister and China's Premier Wen announced that China has granted Canada approved destination status.

This is great news for the tourism industry. China is one of the fastest growing outbound tourism markets in the world. The Conference Board of Canada says that approved destination status, ADS, is expected to boost travel to Canada by up to 50% over the next five years. As the Prime Minister said, ADS is a significant moment in our history with China.

[The Economy, October 20th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I know my colleague from Newmarket—Aurora works extremely hard for small businesses in her riding.

This being Small Business Week, it gives us all an opportunity to recognize the outstanding contribution of this key sector. Small businesses outperformed the rest of the Canadian economy during the recession and are leading the way to the recovery.

Through the economic action plan, our government is supporting them with increased access to financing, lower taxes and less red tape. We salute everyone involved in the dynamic small business sector.

[Tourism Industry, April 28th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Perth—Wellington should be very proud of his great work to promote tourism and the Stratford Festival in his riding.

Tourism contributes as much to Canada's economy as forestry, fisheries and agriculture combined. Marquee tourism events draw visitors from across Canada and from abroad. They are wide doorways into our visitor economy, which supports jobs and income for communities. The marquee tourism events programs will help preserve the competitiveness and increase their international reach.