Seniors

During question period, members questioned the government about the cost of living for seniors. Conservative members said many seniors in Quebec and elsewhere are struggling to pay for food and housing, citing reliance on the guaranteed income supplement and rising food prices, and asked the government to reduce spending. Liberal ministers replied that the government supports seniors through measures such as the 10% guaranteed income supplement increase for seniors living alone, higher old age security for those 75 and over, a lower retirement age of 65, funding for seniors in hundreds of communities, dental care and a tax credit for personal support workers, and said the Conservatives voted against these measures when they opposed the budget.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text (opens in a new tab)

4 statements

Gérard Deltell, Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk

Conservative
“One in three seniors in Quebec relies on low-income support, and their groceries are not getting any cheaper. Food prices are rising faster in Canada than in any other G7 country. I blame the Prime Minister and the Liberal government.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, 600,000 Quebeckers are being forced to make ends meet on the guaranteed income supplement. That is one in three seniors, and 600,000 people is more than the entire population of Quebec City. I am going to address Quebec’s seniors directly and ask them whether, over the past year, their situation has improved when they go grocery shopping. Unfortunately, the answer is no. For the past year, Canada has had the worst food inflation of any G7 country. It has been the worst for the past year, ever since this Prime Minister was elected. That is the result of a Liberal government.

Stephanie McLean, Secretary of State (Seniors)

Liberal
“The Conservatives voted against the budget. That means they voted against money, tax credits, and dental care for seniors.”
  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 47 of 100

    None of this answer addressed the specific question that was asked.

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, when the Conservatives voted against the budget, they voted against the OAS and the GIS. They also voted against the New Horizons for Seniors program, a tax credit for personal support workers and the dental care program. What are the Conservatives voting for? It is certainly not for seniors.

Luc Berthold, Mégantic—L'Érable—Lotbinière

Conservative
“Seniors cannot afford housing and food, and many families must use credit or savings to buy groceries. When will the Prime Minister stop this spending so seniors have enough to eat?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I cannot get over how the Liberals put their arrogance on full display every time they answer questions. When we tell them about seniors who are struggling to pay for housing and food, they keep saying that everything is going well because of their grand announcements. The Liberal Prime Minister said he would be judged by the price of groceries, but what is the result? Apparently 35% of households are using their savings or credit to buy food. When will the Liberal Prime Minister put an end to his credit card budgets so that seniors can make ends meet and have enough to eat?

Anna Gainey, Secretary of State (Children and Youth)

Liberal
“We support seniors. We lowered the retirement age to 65. We gave more money to single seniors and seniors aged 75 and older. We also spent $54 million to improve seniors' lives in more than 400 communities.”
  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 46 of 100

    None of this answer addressed the specific question that was asked.

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, we lowered the retirement age to 65. We increased the guaranteed income supplement by 10% for seniors living alone, and we also increased old age security for seniors aged 75 and older. We also invested $54 million to improve quality of life for seniors in more than 400 communities across the country through the New Horizons for Seniors Program. We are here for seniors.

Discussion

No comments yet

See the full discussion

Comment rules

More from sitting 112

  1. Government Orders Canadian Space Launch Act 116 statements
  2. Oral Questions Finance 12 statements
  3. Oral Questions Natural Resources 4 statements
  4. Oral Questions Transportation 2 statements
  5. Oral Questions Finance 14 statements
  6. Oral Questions Labour 4 statements
  7. Oral Questions Seniors 4 statements
  8. Oral Questions Housing 3 statements
  9. Oral Questions Finance 18 statements
  10. Oral Questions The Economy 2 statements
  11. Oral Questions Ethics 6 statements
  12. Oral Questions Public Safety 2 statements
  13. Oral Questions Justice 2 statements
  14. Oral Questions Grocery Industry 2 statements
  15. Government Orders Canadian Space Launch Act 25 statements
  16. Oral Questions Pharmacare 2 statements
  17. Oral Questions Finance 6 statements