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Election 2015 - Seniors

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Published on Thursday, September 10, 2015

Banner Staff

The Neepawa Banner

Until the federal election on October 19th, the Neepawa Banner will be talking to the candidates about the issues that matter to local voters. This week we begin with the candidate profiles. Check back as we ask the candidates for their views on a new topic each week.

Seniors. With Canada’s baby-boomer population aging, what support for seniors would you like to see? Are there alternatives to help seniors when the government supports (CPP/OAS) aren’t enough to offset a rising cost of living and health costs? On the flip side, what programs would you like to see help young Canadians better save for retirement?

Name: Inky Mark

Party: Independent

Ë®¹ûÊÓƵ: Dauphin

Governments must pay more attention to seniors’ issues. Canada has an aging population, soon most of the post WWII baby generation will become seniors. Seventy per cent of Canadians do not have a pension plan, therefore the government must have policies in place to help seniors retire. I believe the OSA and CPP should not be taxed. Canada needs a PharmaCare program for all of us. Seniors need more assistance while living independent lives in their own homes. 

Name: Kate Storey

Party: Green Party of Canada

Ë®¹ûÊÓƵ: Grandview

The unfortunate reality is that when it comes to most seniors or those about to reach that age category, other than the public pension plans, which many of them are depending on, there are few that are truly ready.

What [the Green Party of Canada] proposes is a plan to augment the Canada Pension Plan. We’re looking at a guaranteed livable income supplement. That’s a basic income supplement for not only seniors but also the disabled and veterans.

How it goes is that, there are all those credits that you just can’t get at this time because you didn’t have the income. Well, if it is refundable, you do get it and that becomes an income supplement, what that means is there is more money in their pocket. They can go to the grocery store, they can buy clothes, better afford the cost of living. We can ensure there is money in seniors’ pockets. 

The federal government also has to take immediate steps to make sure pensioners are protected in case of a company going bankrupt. Right now, the law is that if your company that you have worked at for 30 years goes bankrupt, pensioners are out of luck and that’s just not fair. So, let’s find a way to protect those people from elements beyond their control.

Name: Robert Sopuck

Party: Conservative Party of Canada

Ë®¹ûÊÓƵ: Sandy Lake

In terms of Canada’s seniors, our Conservative government has a very strong track record of support for this very important segment of Canadian society. We introduced income splitting for senior couples, which has significantly reduced the tax burden for them. Also we have adjusted Registered Retirement Income Funds (RRIFs) to ensure that these pools of funds last longer for retirees. For low income seniors, we have increased the level paid out by the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS). As well, under the New Horizons and Enabling Accessibility Programs, the federal government has been providing funds to modernize and repair seniors’ recreational and cultural facilities and to enhance the accessibility of facilities for those seniors who are disabled.

Furthermore, to help young Canadians, and indeed Canadians of all ages, to save for their eventual retirement, we have increased the amount that can be invested annually in a Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) to $10,000. We have also introduced income splitting for families and introduced the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB). The UCCB pays families $160.00/month for each child 6 and under and $60.00/month for every child from age 6 to 17. The extra funds can support day care and/or provide for a child’s education among other things. The extra funding under the UCCB will also create the flexibility to assist younger Canadians to save for the future.

It must be noted that both the Liberal Party and the New Democratic Party voted against all of these measures and are committed to removing these benefits. The elimination of income splitting for seniors would be a devastating financial setback for many people. A re-elected Conservative government would ensure that these benefits stay in place.

Name: Ray Piché

Party: Liberal Party of Canada

Ë®¹ûÊÓƵ:  Onanole

As a retired member of the RCMP, I believe all Canadians deserve a secure and dignified retirement after a lifetime of hard work.

The Liberal Party of Canada has a compassionate plan that will help our beloved seniors. We believe that a gradually phased in, fully funded enhancement of the CPP is the best way to help ensure that today’s working Canadians can retire with a secure public pension. A Liberal government will work with the provinces and territories to enhance the Canada Pension Plan to help ensure retirement security for all Canadians. A Liberal government will also reverse the Harper government’s OAS clawback and return the OAS eligibility age to 65 from 67. Our plan is, and will always be, that we will keep income splitting for seniors’ pensions, despite what the Conservatives have said in their attack ads .

We will also work with Canadians caring for a seriously ill adult family member, who needs significant care over and above what can be provided during evenings and weekends, or a seriously ill child, who cannot attend school for an extended period of time. They will no longer be excluded from the benefit. A Liberal government will introduce a more flexible and accessible Employment Insurance Compassionate Care Benefit, available to any Canadian who provides care to a seriously ill family member. Though applicants will still be expected to submit a medical certificate in order to qualify, the benefit will have more inclusive eligibility requirements.

Name: Laverne Lewycky

Party: NDP

Ë®¹ûÊÓƵ: Dauphin

As a baby-boomer myself, whose 96 year old mother has now entered the Dauphin Personal Care Ë®¹ûÊÓƵ, from personal experience, I am acutely aware of the needs of our aging parents. The NDP is committed to providing a dependable and sustainable pension system. It will ensure that there are viable Canada Pension Plans for all Canadians.

Canadian seniors can feel comfortable knowing the NDP will reverse Old Age Security eligibility age from 67 to 65. The NDP will protect existing retirees from having their accrued pension benefits reduced by their employer; and lift 200,000 seniors out of poverty with new funding to the Guaranteed Income Supplement. Dealing with the rising cost of living and health costs is essential to offset the daily predicament many seniors face. 

To help young Canadians save for retirement, a New Democratic government will make a $15 federal minimum wage a priority. Students face burdensome debt loads upon graduation. A hallmark of today’s economy is that workers change employers numerous times in their careers. As a consequence, it is important that pension plans are portable across sectors of the economy and geographical areas.  An NDP government will ensure pension plans provide income security for future generations.

To coordinate national effective results, the NDP would convene a first ministers’ CPP/QPP and pension security meeting within six months of taking office. The Canada pension plan needs to be enhanced to ensure retirement security for seniors. The federal  government must work with the provinces so that future generations are not saddled with a massive social debt by sparing younger people from shouldering the total cost of caring for their seniors. 

The Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa area can uniquely contribute to such a national conference. One of the earliest experiments with guaranteed incomes in Dauphin during the 1970s was the Mincome (minimum income) program. Unfortunately, its results were never fully evaluated because of a change in government that simply put the program’s records in storage. Interestingly, recently other countries have studied that program and started to incorporate its features in their own countries. Canada can learn from their experiences with such progressive approaches to seniors’ well-being.