CHRIS IN QUESTION PERIOD: Stop short-changing seniors

Ms. Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, a simple mistake by Statistics Canada resulted in a botched formula for inflation from 2001 to 2006. The consequence is that the Canada pension plan, old age security, and the guaranteed income supplement have been underpaid to every single senior in the country.

The minister who is supposed to represent seniors at the cabinet table admits the mistake but says, “too bad, so sad”.

Why is the government refusing to pay seniors what is rightfully theirs?

Hon. Monte Solberg (Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, CPC):

Mr. Speaker, it is precisely because of this government that seniors today have more money in their pockets, lower taxes, better programming, and an enhanced new horizons program.

As the member says, they have an outstanding minister representing their point of view at the cabinet table, something the NDP has always voted against.

Ms. Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, it is precisely because of this government that we have two million seniors living in poverty today and that number is growing.

Retired firefighters, police and municipal employees are all waiting for government action. Why? Because they all got dinged twice by this government: once when they lost out on CPP and OAS, and the second time when the cost of living on their employer pension was impacted by StatsCan as well.

The government can find billions of dollars for corporate tax cuts. Why can it not find the money to pay back seniors for a mistake that the government made?

Hon. Monte Solberg (Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, CPC):

Mr. Speaker, the member is completely wrong. The fact is the government has moved on a number of occasions to improve things for seniors. Recently, NDP members had the chance to show that they really support seniors and failed to do it.

We have moved as a government to lift 385,000 Canadians right off the tax rolls, low income Canadians, many thousands of whom are seniors and the NDP of course voted against it.