Throne speech eagerly anticipated by CARP members – promises kept?

Posted on by CARP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 December 3, 2015

Toronto ON: CARP members anticipate that the new government will reveal how it will keep its election promises to them. They will be watching closely tomorrow as the Governor General delivers the Throne Speech. 

Susan Eng Executive Vice-President of CARP will be in the Senate chamber to watch and to report back.

During the election all parties made substantial promises addressing priority concerns for older Canadians. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hosted a Town Hall at CARP headquarters during the election campaign to deliver his promises in person to CARP members.

“CARP members will eagerly anticipate that the Throne Speech ‎will signal when, not if, the many election promises made to them will be kept. Some things they can do immediately including increasing GIS for the poorest seniors. They could also put increasing the CPP on the agenda for the first FTP Finance ministers meeting in December.”- Susan Eng Executive Vice-President, CARP ‎

CARP members will be watching the Throne Speech with anticipation that the new government will prioritize action on a number of key promises made during the campaign, including promises to:

  • Reverse the age of eligibility for Old Age Security (OAS) benefits, from 67 to 65
  • Increase the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) by almost $1,000 per year for single, low-income seniors
  • Work with provinces to enhance the Canada Pension Plan (CPP)
  • Extend compassionate care leave for caregivers
  • Enact rules and regulations for Physician Assisted Death
  • Negotiate new Health Accords with Provinces and Territories

The new government has already acted positively on two key issues of concern to CARP members – reviewing Canada Post’s plans to end home delivery and bringing back the long-form census.  The prompt action is welcomed by CARP members and suggests that the government is intent on fulfilling election promises.

CARP is a national, non-partisan, non-profit organization committed to advocating for social change that will bring financial security, equitable access to health care and freedom from discrimination. CARP seeks to ensure that the marketplace serves the needs and expectations of our generation and provides value-added benefits, products and services to our members. Through our network of chapters across Canada, CARP is dedicated to building a sense of community and shared values among our members in support of CARP’s mission. CARP has 300,000 members nationwide.

For further information, please contact:

Sarah Park   416.607.2471
Director, Strategic Communications
[email protected]

Anna Sotnykova  416.607.2475
Media & Communications Coordinator
[email protected]

for

Susan Eng
Executive Vice President
CARP, A New Vision of Aging for Canada
or visit our website: www.carp.ca
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