Appointment of eight members to the National Seniors Council - Video Transcript
The Honourable Monte Solberg
Minister of Human Resources and Social Development
Today, we are here on Parliament Hill to celebrate two important milestones for Canadian seniors. The first is the signing into law of Bill C-36, an Act to amend the Canada Pension Plan and the Old Age Security Act. The second is the announcement of the new members of the National Seniors Council.
I am very proud that we have been able to deliver on this important commitment for older Canadians. I look forward to receiving the advice of the Council because we want to continue to listen as we put in place the many initiatives our government has brought forward for seniors.
Early in its mandate Canada’s New Government committed to ensuring that the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security would remain fundamental guarantees of retirement income for Canadians. That is what we have achieved in Bill C-36.
We have listened to Canadian seniors and taken action to ensure that the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security meet their needs both today and into the future. These changes demonstrate the commitment of Canada’s New Government to seniors and persons with disabilities, reinforcing Canada’s public pensions as cornerstones for retirement and income security.
The amendments in Bill C-36 are intended to strengthen accountability and fairness and streamline the delivery of benefits.
Honourable Marjory LeBreton
Leader of the Government in the Senate and Secretariat of State (Seniors)
With the numbers of seniors doubling in the next 25 years, I think we can all appreciate that the nature of Canadian society is changing and will be changing drastically into the future.
In March I was pleased to announce the creation of the National Senior Council to advise the government on issues of national importance to seniors. Seniors asked us for a National Seniors Council to study and deliver on issues that matter to them. We have listened to seniors and seniors’ groups, and this is the result.
These members of the National Seniors Council represent the voices of experts, seniors and seniors groups from across the country. I look very much forward to getting to know them at the Seniors Council inaugural meeting, which we will be holding later this month, where we will start the process of looking at the issues that matter most to Canadian seniors, issues like health care, financial and social well being, and overall quality of life of Canada’s seniors population.
