Hon. Alice Wong, P.C.

The following letter was sent to the Minister for Seniors, jointly signed by MP Alice Wong (Richmond Centre) and MP Martin Shields (Bow River):

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April 14, 2020

Minister Schulte,

I am writing to bring to your attention items in regards to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While acknowledging the seniors-specific actions your government has taken regarding RRIF withdrawals, changes to the New Horizons for Seniors program, and the funding provided to the United Way, I have been in physically-distant consultation with seniors across the country that are rightfully concerned about the lack of further action. Given the inherently interdisciplinary nature of the portfolio, I know these changes can take time, but I have every confidence that you and your team will work with your counterparts in Cabinet to get seniors the help they so desperately need.

Specifically, our seniors need the federal government to protect their physical and financial security during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic brings with it a host of challenges that your government must face, a challenge that you need not face alone. I draw upon my years of experience to relay what I am hearing from my constituents, caucus members, and seniors from coast to coast to coast that are facing significant uncertainties during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Physical Security:

Minister, I am sure I do not need to reiterate to you that by virtue of age, Canada’s seniors are the highest mortality risk during this pandemic, and as such are bearing the brunt of its force.

Physical distancing, while assisting to flatten the curve, brings with it a number of serious issues, particularly for our seniors. According to the March 2018 Advancing Inclusion and Quality of Life for Seniors report by the Standing Committee on Human Resources, nearly half of seniors experienced social isolation and the host of negative effects associated with it.  With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, that number has surely increased. I was pleased to see the government’s changes to the New Horizons for Seniors program to include initiatives that helped combat social isolation during this trying time. I urge you to continue to work with stakeholders and healthcare professionals to find proactive ways to help maintain both the physical and mental health of Canada’s seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The caregiver is an integral part of aging in Canada. In a nation with infrastructure limitations and a rapidly aging population, the role and demand of the caregiver has increased dramatically. Particularly, informal caregiver support is a pillar of effective healthcare across Canada with the majority of all care provided to Canadians being in the form of friends or family. I urge the government to take steps to ensure our seniors are continuing to receive the caregiver support they need while also ensuring the physical safety of both senior and caregiver alike.

Financial Security:

The risks posed to our seniors by COVID-19 are not just physical, but financial as well. The majority of seniors are on a fixed income, meaning they are particularly vulnerable to increases in the cost of living.  With increasing government taxation, such as the increase in the carbon tax, coupled with a large portion of the economy being shut down due to COVID-19, it is virtually certain that the cost of living will be rising.

One of the most frequent requests I have heard from seniors is for the government to allow a one-time tax exemption of up to a certain amount for any seniors that wish to withdraw additional amounts from their RRSPs and RRIFs. This would allow for those seniors that are able to draw on their own funds to see them through this pandemic and pump money back into their local economies. This, combined with the action already taken on the RRIF withdrawals would incentivize seniors to access their capital without significantly increasing what is going to be a record-setting deficit in this fiscal year.

Canadians are ageing and they now find themselves in the midst of a pandemic that discriminates against the elderly. Working to strengthen the physical and financial security of our seniors must be addressed. I urge you to work with your caucus colleagues to ensure that your government takes immediate and significant steps to protect the people that built our country and its institutions from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Regards,

Hon. Alice Wong, P.C.., M.P.
Richmond Centre
Opposition Shadow Minister for Seniors

Martin Shields, M.P.
Bow River
Opposition Deputy Shadow Minister for Seniors

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