Alice Wong, MP

The Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State for Seniors, will host a roundtable with stakeholders to discuss elder abuse in Ottawa.

Minister Wong will be available for a photo op and to answer questions from the media following the roundtable.

Please note that all details are subject to change. All times are local.

DATE:
Thursday, November 24, 2011

TIME:
11:30 a.m.

PLACE:
The Good Companions
670, Albert Street
Ottawa, Ontario

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FOR INFORMATION (media only):

Robert Lynch
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of State (Seniors)
613-790-0219

Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
819-994-5559

The following is a Remembrance Day video from Alice Wong:

The player will show in this paragraph

The following is a transcript:

Hello, I’m Alice Wong, Minister of State for Seniors and Member of Parliament for Richmond. On November the 11th, Canadians will join together in a day of Remembrance, when we will remember the ultimate sacrifices made by Canada’s brave men and women in uniform and honour the legacies they left behind. We will thank those who have given up so much for our great country and showed courage, bravery and determination. This Remembrance day, we will honour those willing to put themselves in harms way and stand up for what’s right and protect the values we hold dear. Lest we forget.

Burnaby, British Columbia, November 10, 2011— The Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors) and Member of Parliament for Richmond, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, today announced that the Government of Canada is investing over $1,569,000 in four youth employment projects. Minister Wong made the announcement at S.U.C.C.E.S.S which is receiving over $696,000 through the Skills Link Program for its youth employment program.

“For many young Canadians, it is a challenge to make the transition to the job market, especially in today’s environment,” said Minister Wong. “That is why our government is creating opportunities for youth to succeed through support for community-based employment projects.”

Local youth who face barriers to employment will get job preparation training and work experience through the Government of Canada’s investments in four employment projects.

With assistance from the Government of Canada, three community organizations will each deliver a Skills Link project to help over 150 youth develop the skills and experience needed to find a job or the confidence to return to school. In addition to S.U.C.C.E.S.S, the other two projects are:

* UFCW Local 247 will receive over $469,000 in Skills Link funding for its Discovery to Apprenticeship project.
* The Mennonite Central Committee of British Columbia will receive over $364,000 in Skills Link funding for its Youth Keep Working project.

The fourth organization, Uni‑Pro Apparel Inc., will receive $40,000 for a Career Focus project to help two post‑secondary graduates gain practical experience through on-the-job training.

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This news release is available in alternative formats upon request.

For further information (media only):

Robert Lynch
Director, Communications
Office of Minister of State Wong
613-960-8717

Alyson Queen
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Finley
819-994-2482

Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
819-994-555

Backgrounder

The Skills Link and Career Focus programs are two of three programs under the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy (YES); the other program is Summer Work Experience. YES helps young people aged 15 to 30 years, particularly those facing barriers to employment, obtain career information, develop skills, gain work experience, find good jobs and stay employed.

Skills Link helps youth between 15 and 30 years of age who are not receiving Employment Insurance benefits develop basic and advanced employment skills. Career Focus links young post-secondary graduates with potential employers who can provide them with career-related work experience and help them acquire advanced employment skills to facilitate their transition into the rapidly changing labour market.

Youth employment programs are also part of the Government of Canada’s strategy to create the best educated, most skilled and most flexible workforce in the world. The Government underscored its commitment to this strategy in Canada’s Economic Action Plan. A key component of the Plan is to create more and better opportunities for Canadian workers through skills development. To learn more about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.

The Skills Link and Career Focus programs are delivered by Service Canada, which provides one-stop personalized services for Government of Canada programs, services and benefits. For more information about this program, visit servicecanada.gc.ca, call 1 800 O‑Canada or drop by your local Service Canada Centre.

Ottawa, Ontario, November 4, 2011—Canadians are invited to mark their calendars: National Senior Safety Week is taking place this year from November 6 to 12.

“In November, we celebrate both National Senior Safety Week and National Crime Prevention and Community Safety Month,” said the Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors). “The prevention of elder abuse is about seniors’ safety and security. It is also about crime prevention and creating safe and secure communities.”

As part of the Government of Canada’s continuing commitment to combat elder abuse, Minister Wong will host a series of three round-table discussions on the issue from November 7 to 9, in western Canada. Later this month, the Government will re‑launch its successful national advertising campaign, Elder Abuse: It’s Time to Face the Reality, to increase awareness of the signs and symptoms of elder abuse, and provide information on available support.

National Senior Safety Week is led annually by the Canada Safety Council. This year’s theme is “Safe driving for older Canadians.” Independence is a key component of healthy and active aging, and driving often contributes to that independence.

For more information on the Government of Canada’s programs and services for seniors, please visit www.seniors.gc.ca.

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This news release is available in alternative formats upon request.

For further information (media only):

Robert Lynch
Director, Communications
Office of Minister of State Wong
613-790-0219

Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
819-994-5559

Backgrounder

Initiatives for Seniors

The Government of Canada is working hard to help improve the lives of seniors on many fronts. These efforts include:

* introducing a new Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) top-up benefit to help Canada’s most vulnerable seniors. This is the largest increase to the GIS for the lowest-income seniors in a quarter century. The measure will further improve the financial security and well-being of more than 680 000 seniors across Canada. It represents a $1.5 billion investment over the next five years;
* increasing funding to the New Horizons for Seniors Program this year by $5 million per year, bringing the program’s annual budget to $45 million. The Program helps seniors bring their leadership, energy and skills to benefit communities across Canada;
* providing Canadians with close to $72 billion this year through Canada’s public pension system;
* providing $2.3 billion annually in additional tax relief to seniors and pensioners through measures such as pension income splitting and increasing the age credit;
* providing $400 million over two years under Canada’s Economic Action Plan for the construction of housing units for low-income seniors;
* supporting positive and active aging through the collaborative Age Friendly Communities Initiative, Physical Activity Tips for Older Adults and falls prevention initiatives;
* establishing October 1 as National Seniors Day to recognize the significant and ongoing contributions seniors make to families, communities, workplaces and society; and
* creating the National Seniors Council in 2007 to provide advice to the federal government on matters related to the well-being and quality of life of seniors.

On November 1, 2011, Alice Wong answered two questions about seniors during question period. The following is a transcript:

Ms. Irene Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe, NDP):
Mr. Speaker, the guaranteed income supplement was put in place 40 years ago to address seniors’ poverty in Canada, but because of the government’s failure to keep up with the times, seniors are falling behind. Costs are rising on everything from food to home heating. Once again, seniors are being left out in the cold. We learned today that the number of seniors using food banks has escalated over the past decade.

What is the government’s plan to help impoverished Canadian seniors?

Hon. Alice Wong (Minister of State (Seniors), CPC):
Mr. Speaker, I will take no lesson from an opposition party which has voted against all of our measures to help seniors. Canada’s seniors have–

Some hon. members: Hear, hear!

The Speaker:
Order. The hon. Minister of State has the floor.

Hon. Alice Wong:
Mr. Speaker, I will take no lesson from the opposition party which has voted against all of our measures on behalf of seniors.

Ms. Irene Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe, NDP):
Mr. Speaker, of course we voted against it because the government’s so-called plan left too many seniors at the food banks’ doors.

We could act on seniors’ poverty right now. New Democrats have put forward a practical, affordable plan to increase the GIS and lift every senior in this country out of poverty. We have the blueprint. All the government has to do is act.

Could the government explain its inaction on seniors’ poverty?

Hon. Alice Wong (Minister of State (Seniors), CPC):
Mr. Speaker, Canadian retirement security is a priority of the government. That is why our government continues to take strong action to support seniors. Since 2006 the government has provided billions in annual tax relief for seniors and pensioners, removed hundreds of thousands of seniors from the tax rolls completely, introduced the largest GIS increase in a quarter century and made significant investments in affordable housing for low income seniors.