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Seniors

Question period focused on seniors. Bloc Québécois members said recent changes to the New Horizons for Seniors program give community organizations too little time to register for a CRA business number, putting hundreds of projects at risk, and asked the government to delay the change. The Liberal minister said the change protects the program’s integrity, that it was announced a month in advance, that seniors’ groups support it, and that Service Canada is offering help with registration. Conservatives raised senior homelessness and the cost of living, saying pensioners are sleeping in restaurants and shelters are overcrowded, and asked the government to reverse its policies; Liberal ministers pointed to their increases to Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement, housing construction, and what they described as the Conservatives’ voting record against those increases.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

10 statements

Yves Perron

Bloc Québécois

Linked statement

“The government changed the rules for senior programs, and groups do not have enough time to register as businesses. I want the government to delay these changes.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, changes to the New Horizons for Seniors program are threatening hundreds of community projects. Organizations have barely a month to register as a business, obtain a registration number and then submit their projects. Otherwise, they will be disqualified. Yesterday, the Secretary of State for Seniors responded to this concern by telling them to figure it out themselves, that there is still plenty of time. For these volunteers who have no resources, July 14 may as well be tomorrow. Will the government delay its changes instead of treating our community organizations with contempt?

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Stephanie McLean

Liberal
“We announced the changes to the seniors program a month early. We now require a business number to protect the program from misuse. An advocacy group for seniors supports this change because it keeps the program fair and easy to use.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 100 of 100

    Of this answer, 100% addressed the question that was asked.

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, we announced these changes to the New Horizons for Seniors program almost a month before the applications opened up, and we made these changes, requiring the CRA business number, to ensure the integrity of the program. Here is what CanAge has to say about these changes. It has said that it is pleased to see this important step to ensure the integrity of the program. It believes that the simplified grant format, ease of reporting requirements and significant supports available for community-based organizations ensure that this program remains accessible and inclusive.

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Yves Perron

Bloc Québécois
“I want the minister to delay this change. Volunteers who help seniors need more time to register so small groups are not left out.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, anyone who has ever dealt with the Canada Revenue Agency or Service Canada knows that it is never that straightforward. We are talking about volunteers who take care of seniors, not experts on red tape. All the minister is being asked to do is to postpone her reform until the organizations that are eligible to register have a chance to do so, with enough time to ensure that the smallest local organizations that cannot register are not unfairly disqualified. Is it too much to ask that a little empathy be shown for our volunteers?

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Stephanie McLean

Liberal
“We made these changes to protect the program, but we are also helping seniors' groups adjust. People can sign up online in under 30 minutes, or get help by phone and through their local MP.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, these changes are important to ensure the integrity of the program, but we also want to make sure that all of the wonderful senior-servicing organizations across Canada have the support they need. That is why Service Canada has provided additional resources to ensure that signing up for the business number is easy. There is a 15- to 30-minute process to make sure that this happens online, but there are also supports available to help seniors over the phone. More than that, there are supports through their local MPs’ offices. If the member had attended our sessions, he would know that.

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Claude DeBellefeuille

Bloc Québécois
“The government is rushing changes to a grant program for seniors. This hurts projects that help seniors stay active and social, and it treats volunteers like criminals. I want the government to delay these changes.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, this government is showing a lack of empathy for seniors and community organizations with its hasty reform of the New Horizons for Seniors program. Its attitude is jeopardizing hundreds of projects that break seniors’ isolation and encourage them to have an active social life. The federal government should be thanking the volunteers who dedicate their time and effort to these projects, not treating them like potential fraudsters. All these organizations want is for the government to delay its reform to ensure that seniors are not left behind. Will the government delay the reform?

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Stephanie McLean

Liberal
“Groups that help seniors support the changes we made to their funding program. We doubled the money for these groups and added rules to make sure seniors can count on it for years to come.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, we have heard from seniors organizations across this country applauding the changes we have made to the New Horizons for Seniors program, which are ensuring that we have doubled the amount available to senior-servicing organizations but also ensuring the integrity of the program for years to come. This was one of the very few grants left in the Government of Canada that did not have these requirements, and this will ensure for years to come that this program is something seniors can rely on.

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Chak Au

Conservative
“Seniors in my riding are sleeping in restaurants because they cannot afford housing, while the Prime Minister spends a lot of money on fancy food for his airplane. Canadians cannot afford food or rent. Why will the Prime Minister not admit his policies are failing?”

  • A repeated line

    “Canada is the only G20 country in a recession.”

    Said 104 times by 61 members since May 29.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, CTV reported that seniors in Richmond Centre—Marpole are sleeping in Tim Hortons because they cannot afford a place to live, while the Prime Minister spends nearly $1 million on luxury catering in his taxpayer-funded aircraft. Canada is the only G20 country in recession. Canadians cannot afford food, rent or housing. Why does the Prime Minister refuse to accept the fact that his policies are failing Canadians?

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Stephanie McLean

Liberal
“Our government is helping seniors by giving them money for food, essentials, and pensions. We are also building over 500,000 homes a year. The Conservatives would do nothing to help them.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Signal 33 of 100

    Much of this statement went to praise, blame, greetings, routine procedure or general stories rather than reasons, requests or specific points.

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, seniors across this country know that they can rely on this Liberal government to support them and have their backs. While it is heartbreaking to read about what is happening to some of these seniors, including in Richmond, that party over there would do nothing for them. It would walk away from the problem and say, “Pull yourselves up by your bootstraps.” What we are doing is providing a social safety net, including old age security, the groceries and essentials benefit and the newly announced food security strategy. More than that, we are building over 500,000 homes a year.

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Chak Au

Conservative
“More seniors are becoming homeless and cannot afford to live on their pensions. Shelters are full and unsafe for them. I want the Prime Minister to reverse his policies that made life so expensive.”

  • A repeated line

    “When will the Liberal Prime Minister end his costly budgeting so Canadians can afford to live?”

    Said 13 times by 12 members since April 28.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, Canada is seeing a growing homeless senior population. Emergency shelters are overflowing, and seniors are saying that they do not feel safe staying in them. After working their entire lives, seniors surviving on a pension should not be sleeping in restaurants or searching for a safe place to spend the night. Canadians deserve better than this Liberal-made affordability crisis. Will the Prime Minister reverse his costly policies that created this crisis, so Canadians can afford to live again?

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Patty Hajdu

Liberal
“The Conservatives say they support seniors, but they voted against giving them more money through pensions.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

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  • Government answer in Question Period

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  • A repeated line

    “The Conservatives voted against all those measures.”

    Said 3 times by 2 members since May 25.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, maybe that member of Parliament wants to look at the voting record of his party. In fact, the Conservatives have fought against seniors. They have fought against increases to OAS, and they have fought against increases to GIS, very important supplements to seniors’ income. Every step of the way, as we have given seniors the support and the dignity they need, the Conservatives have voted against those measures. It is shameful to hear them get up in this House and talk about supporting seniors when they could very easily lend their hand to the work.

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