New Minister of State for Seniors Alice Wong's Letter to CARP

Elder Abuse Message to CARP:

Download the original Letter from the Minister here

Canada’s seniors represent a generation of Canadians who helped build a country we are all proud of and, as the Minister of State (Seniors), I am very honoured to be their advocate in the Government of Canada’s cabinet.

Elder abuse is happening in communities across Canada and, it is unacceptable and should not be tolerated. This is why our government undertook the Federal Elder Abuse Awareness Initiative and expanded the New Horizons for Seniors Program to include elder abuse awareness.

I am pleased to say that our government is furthering this commitment because we have no more a fundamental duty than protecting the personal safety of our citizens.

In the Speech from the Throne, we stated that we are committed to amending the Criminal Code to add vulnerability due to age as an aggravating factor to be considered in the sentencing of those who commit crimes against the elderly. While these amendments are the responsibility of Justice Canada, I will support my colleague, the Minister of Justice, in any way I can.

I look forward to continuing to work with CARP and its members to improve the lives of older Canadians, and to ensure that seniors have access to the support they need to continue to lead healthy and active lives.
Sincerely,

Alice Wong, P.C., M.P.
Minister of State (Seniors)

Keywords: elder, abuse, awareness, crime