ABBOTSFORD ISSUES

Canada’s seniors have worked their entire lives to build a better Canada. They deserve our respect and admiration for their great contributions. It is our obligation to honour our elders and ensure that our seniors have a secure and dignified retirement. Seniors across Canada can count on our Conservative government to improve their quality of life and enhance their well-being.

Our 2011 Budget has enhanced the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) for seniors who rely almost exclusively on their Old Age Security and OAS. This increased financial security  to Canada’s most vulnerable seniors provides additional benefits  of up to $600 for a single senior and $840 for couples. Representing an investment of more than $300 million per year, this measure will improve the financial security of seniors across Canada.

We recognize that many seniors want to continue contributing to our communities.  Our families and communities are stronger if we make sure these opportunities are available.  That’s why the Next Phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan enhances the New Horizons for Seniors Program with an additional $10 million over two years.  New Horizons funds important programs to help seniors stay active, putting their decades of experience to use as mentors and volunteers.  Additionally, we know that seniors in Canada want to remain active in the workforce and should have the freedom to make that choice. It is for this reason that we are working to eliminate the mandatory retirement age and are providing older workers across Canada with training to secure new, gainful employment with the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers program.

Since 2006, our Conservative government has taken important steps to ensure that seniors keep more of their money in their pockets. Our government has increased the Age Credit amount by $1,000 in 2006 and by another $1,000 in 2009. We have doubled the maximum amount of income eligible for the Pension Income Credit to $2,000. We have delivered pension income splitting for senior couples. The age limit for maturing pensions and Registered Retirement Savings Plans has been increased to 71 from 69 years of age. To provide additional help to seniors saving for retirement, we are supporting a low-cost Pooled Pension Retirement Plan. These actions have significantly improved the well-being of seniors by providing them with an additional $2.3 billion in targeted tax relief for the 2011-12 fiscal year.

To further recognize the contributions seniors make to families, workplaces, communities and society, our Conservative government has established October 1^st as National Seniors Day. We have invested $13 million in the Federal Elder Abuse Initiative to promote respect and prevent the maltreatment of our elder population. Moreover, our Conservative government has appointed a Minister of State for Seniors to stand up for the interests of older Canadians at the Cabinet table. We continue to consult broadly with seniors and are committed to ensuring that they can retire with dignity and security.

To help Canadian seniors, we are keeping taxes low and leaving more money in their pockets. In 2011, a single senior can earn at least $19,064 and a senior couple at least $38,128 before having to pay any federal income tax. Seniors are major beneficiaries of the broad based tax relief measures introduced by our Conservative government such as the Tax-Free Savings Account. Thanks to the numerous measures our Government has taken, including cutting the GST by two percentage points, the federal tax burden on Canadians is the lowest in 50 years. Canadian seniors can count on our Conservative government to stand up for them.