Conservative Government Continues to Work For Seniors

July 22, 2009

Ottawa – Ted Menzies, Member of Parliament for Macleod and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance, is pleased that the Government of Canada is continuing to work hard for seniors in Canada.

“The Government of Canada recognizes seniors as valuable members of society who contribute a diversity of skills, knowledge and experience to their families and communities,” said Menzies.

“Our Government continues supporting seniors in a number of different ways, including significant tax measures and the New Horizons for Seniors Program.” continued Menzies. “We are also listening to seniors through the National Seniors Council. This Council is very important since it meets with seniors across the country to better understand their needs and report to Government.”

Canada’s Economic Action Plan announced a number of new initiatives that will have a positive effect on seniors:

• Increasing the Age Credit by $1,000 for 2009 and beyond to allow eligible seniors to receive up to an additional $150 in annual tax savings.
• Providing $400 million over two years through the Affordable Housing Initiative for the construction of housing units for low-income seniors.
• Providing seniors with $200 million in tax relief by reducing the required minimum withdrawal amount for 2008 from Registered Retirement Income Funds by 25 percent, recognizing the impact weak market conditions have had on retirement savings.
• Helping older workers and their families through challenging economic times by investing an additional $60 million over three years in the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers, and by expanding the number of eligible communities to include older workers in small cities.
• Establishing an independent Task Force to make recommendations on a cohesive national strategy on financial literacy for Canadians.

For more information about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.


Conservative Government Continues to Work For Seniors

Recently, our Conservative Government launched a $13-million national elder abuse awareness initiative, which you can learn more about at www.seniors.gc.ca.  We cannot and will not tolerate abuse of older Canadians, in any form.  

Our Government wants to work with seniors to keep them engaged in their communities and so we are supporting positive and active aging through the collaborative Age-Friendly Communities initiative, Canada’s Physical Activity Guide to Healthy Active Living for Older Adults, and falls prevention initiatives.

Our Conservative government knows that seniors are a diverse group with different interests and concerns. We are committed to ensuring that policies, programs and services meet the evolving needs of all seniors.  

For more information about our Government’s policies on seniors, visit www.seniors.gc.ca.