REPORT FROM PARLIAMENT

Seniors make a valuable and appreciated contribution to our society. They have survived adversity, have gained wisdom, and often, given a willing listener will impart their unique histories and perspectives.

Your Conservative government has been looking out for the interests of all Canadians, including seniors since 2006. We have responded to a wide range of issues that affect older Canadians. In Budget 2009, our government increased the age credit amount in Canada’s Economic Action Plan. This in addition to the significant tax relief introduced since 2006 for both seniors and pensioners, which includes the doubling of the pension income credit amount from $1,000 to $2,000.

For low-income seniors, your Conservative government is investing $400 million dollars over two years to fund the construction of new housing units that will provide them with affordable living quarters in their later years. We also created the Home Renovation Tax credit to assist those who need to retrofit their homes to ensure their safety and create a more age friendly environment.

The New Horizons for Seniors Program is one of the many ways your Conservative Government is working with older Canadians. This program funds a wide variety of projects not only in the riding of Battlefords-Lloydminster but across the country, and focuses on seniors and recognizes their involvement as being an integral part of the communities they have built.

Your Conservative government is working hard to consider all the options that will help and benefit our seniors, and from the encouraging results of the poll conducted by the Canadian Association of Retired People, we are on the right track. Their poll results indicated that 81.4 per cent of respondents support or strongly support the initiatives undertaken in our 2009 federal budget.

Your Conservative government is proud to recognize and support the part our seniors play in strengthening our communities and building our country. We will continue to find ways to improve the quality of life of our seniors and retirees so they can live out their years with the respect and dignity they deserve.

Hon. Gerry Ritz is the Member of Parliament for Battlefords-Lloydminster www.gerryritzmp.ca