Finance committee  In my opinion, the key message about old age security is that we must look beyond columns of figures. We must look at people's day‑to‑day needs. Some people aged 65 to 74 have urgent needs in terms of housing, food and medication. An extra $70 a month can change their lives. We're asking parliamentarians to think about these people who are struggling to make ends meet.

Finance committee  When the program was introduced, the professionals had to register with the Canadian dental care plan. The situation has improved, since they no longer need to do so and they can still submit claims. In my opinion, this has helped the program move forward. However, as Ms. Tassé‑Goodman said, some costs and treatments aren't covered.

Finance committee  That isn't what they say. I think that the people accepted into the program are benefiting from it, and that's good. We know that dental care factors into health and that good dental health factors into socialization. For the eligible people, the program is beneficial. We've made that clear from the start.

Finance committee  Thank you for your question. We are in the middle of a labour shortage, and we think seniors represent a valuable pool of potential workers. That pool is open to everyone, but seniors need to be encouraged to work. We often state that, according to a Quebec Employers Council survey, about 50% of those who continue working or return to work were incentivized by tax measures.

Finance committee  In our pre-budget brief, we referenced the government’s promise in 2021 to broaden the Canada caregiver credit and make it refundable. We think it’s important to make this measure a reality. I remind you that caregivers represent about 34% of the population. The majority of them, about 60%, are women.

Finance committee  Recall that during the 2021 election campaign, the government promised a $500 increase for people living alone, and $750 for couples. That is the absolute minimum. I’d like to come back to indexing the Old Age Security pension, which you mentioned. The problem is that indexation is based on the Consumer Price Index, whereas average wage growth is a percentage point higher.

Finance committee  Exactly. Furthermore, you must remember that the Canada Pension Plan and the Quebec Pension Plan were topped up. They went from a 25% replacement rate to about 33%. That is a good thing, but the problem is that people contribute more. They therefore earn less on their paycheque.

Finance committee  Thank you very much for your question. There's a labour shortage across Canada. We think it would be appropriate to introduce an experienced traveller tax credit. Quebec has one, and it amounts to $1,600 per year for persons 65 years of age and over, and I believe it's about $1,400 for those 60 to 65.

Finance committee  Thank you for that question. During the 2021 election campaign, the government committed to amending the Canada caregiver credit. We think that's important since caregivers represent 34% of the population of Quebec. Most of them are women. Some 20% live in financial insecurity, and many of them spend a lot of money in their caregiver role.

Finance committee  Thank you for your question. It has clearly been pointed out to us, as an organization that represents seniors, that Quebec's Régie de l'assurance maladie doesn't cover the full range of prescription drugs and equipment. We've been made aware of this by diabetics, particularly with regard to insulin injections.

Finance committee  Thank you for your question. In the current situation, housing costs are rising sharply. Inflation has an impact on the cost of the basket of groceries and everyday items, and some people find it hard to make ends meet at the end of the month. Consequently, any ad hoc assistance for people who really need it would be welcome.

Finance committee  Yes, it would be a pleasure. We've gone back over the topic several times. Ms. Tassé-Goodman addressed it in her remarks. A lot of seniors 65 to 74 years of age aren't happy because they aren't entitled to the 10% increase in the old age security pension. As we frequently point out, financial insecurity isn't a matter of age.

Human Resources committee  Thank you very much for the question. Every week in Quebec, we see cases of people living in private seniors' residences, or RPAs, whose rent costs are increasing exponentially. Every service costs an arm and a leg. It's very expensive. The problem is that RPAs have a large share of the market and have a bit of the upper tier.

Human Resources committee  The impact is seen in the difficult choices being made on a daily basis, such as putting a product back on the shelf at the grocery store or not always buying all the drugs needed for their health. As I was saying earlier, seniors have very high health care costs. I am thinking here of eyeglasses, hearing aids and dental care, in particular.

Human Resources committee  The proposal to increase the maximum earnings exemption for the guaranteed income supplement is a very good measure. The government has already increased it in the past, and we have applauded that decision every time. Because of the way it is designed, the guaranteed income supplement is a tax trap, a trap that leads to poverty.