44th Parl. 1st Sess.
September 19, 2024 10:00AM
- Sep/19/24 10:59:46 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I suspect there are many communities, like Granby, that have all sorts of ideas to deal with these issues. It is not just high-density urban centres that are having issues with homelessness and housing for seniors. Many seniors want to live in the communities where they grew up. The demand for non-profit, low-income and fixed-income housing for seniors is there and it is very real.
There are critical things we can do by working with provinces. They play a critical role in non-profit housing, especially the expansion of housing for seniors. There are also some things we can do, including housing co-ops. There is so much more we can do with housing co-ops. We should be looking at policy initiatives to support and encourage them, and provide a certain level of education because a lot of people do not truly understand the benefits of housing co-ops. I do think that is a strong and viable option, in particular for seniors and low-income people on fixed income.
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- Sep/19/24 2:29:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the citizens of LaSalle—Émard—Verdun for putting their trust in the Bloc Québécois.
The truth is the Bloc Québécois is in the best position it has been in over 15 years. If increasing the number of Bloc members was our priority, an election would have already been called. However, our priority is Quebeckers. Quebeckers are concerned about the living conditions of seniors, among other things. That is why we are asking the Liberals to stop financially discriminating against seniors aged 65 to 74.
Are they finally going to increase old age security by 10% for that age group?
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- Sep/19/24 2:30:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals need to understand something. It is very simple.
They have two choices, and both choices come at a cost. Either they increase old age security by 10% for seniors aged 65 to 74, or they will pay for it, politically speaking. The Liberals will have to make a choice, and so will the other parties. If they think that seniors' pensions are not important, then they better have the nerve to tell seniors to their faces. The Liberals are going to pay for it one way or another.
Will they increase old age security by 10%, yes or no?
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- Sep/19/24 2:31:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I applaud the member for La Prairie for wanting to help seniors in Quebec because, clearly, he has not been very supportive of Quebec or Canadian seniors to date.
Some may be surprised to learn that he voted against lowering the retirement age to 65, that he voted against increasing the guaranteed income supplement for the poorest seniors in Quebec and that, when we brought in a plan for dental care, the member for La Prairie voted against it.
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- Sep/19/24 2:34:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, New Democrats built medicare; Liberals and Conservatives are tearing it down.
The Liberals promised to help seniors in Quebec with the age well at home initiative, but Quebeckers are not receiving anything because the Liberals and the Legault government are too busy bickering.
Will the Prime Minister stop this nonsense and finally deliver on the promise to help Quebeckers?
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- Sep/19/24 2:36:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I do not think we should be politicizing pensions, but if the member opposite or his leader wants to talk about the size of their pensions, they should talk about that. At a time when they will be getting millions of dollars in government pensions, they also look to cut the pensions of everyday Canadians. We are here to support seniors no matter where they worked, not just parliamentarians with their pensions.
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- Sep/19/24 2:37:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is very interesting to hear my friend from Regina—Qu'Appelle, who was around in those days. In fact, he was sitting right where you are sitting, Mr. Speaker, when Prime Minister Harper went to, yes, Davos. As a reminder for some members in the back, that is the World Economic Forum. He went there to do what? He went there to tell Canadian seniors that their retirement age was moving to 67 from 65.
How dare the member for Regina—Qu'Appelle stand in the House and talk to us about pensions?
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- Sep/19/24 2:44:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let us not forget that seniors are watching us. They have had it with evasive answers. It is time for decisions.
All year, I have been meeting with seniors throughout Quebec, and they are unanimous. The Liberals have to increase old age security for people aged 65 to 74, just like they did for people 75 and older. It is urgent. There is no justification for creating two classes of seniors.
Will the Liberals end this by raising old age security by 10% starting at age 65?
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- Sep/19/24 2:45:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have a choice: Either they put an end to the two classes of seniors that they created or they go to the polls to keep those two classes of seniors.
The Bloc Québécois has made its choice. We choose the side of all seniors, the side of equity and justice. It is time for the Liberals to make a choice. They can choose to do away with age discrimination or they can choose to promote this unjustifiable discrimination.
What will it be?
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- Sep/19/24 2:46:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, once again, the member is raising the spectre of an unnecessary election instead of taking concrete action, like voting to help Quebec seniors, which is something she has not done since she arrived here. She voted against increasing the guaranteed income supplement. She voted against the dental care plan that 14,000 people in her own riding have signed up for. Still, the member claims to speak on behalf of seniors.
The government that is getting things done for our seniors is a Liberal government.
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- Sep/19/24 2:46:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, not only are the Liberals discriminating against seniors, but they are even going so far as to cut funding to the organizations that support them. For months, they have been depriving community organizations of funding from the age well at home initiative because they refuse to come to an agreement with Quebec. This is yet another cynical attempt to encroach upon Quebec's jurisdictions at the expense of seniors.
Quebec's intergovernmental affairs minister said, “That is disgusting”. Those are his words, not mine.
When will the Liberals come to an agreement with Quebec and stop holding seniors hostage?
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- Sep/19/24 2:47:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we do in fact have a very important pilot project that is helping seniors live well in their own homes. We are receiving some excellent projects, including one from the Centre communautaire l'entraide plus de Chambly. We have another project called Ancrage. Thanks to a growing pool of volunteers, this project proposes to expand and add more assisted living services for vulnerable low-income seniors in mostly rural areas.
That is where the Government of Quebec is blocking things. What my colleague should do is talk to the Government of Quebec to get the money flowing.
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