How we advocate
As an advocacy organization, the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) has many ways of working to promote social change that will bring financial security, equitable access to health care and freedom from ageism for older Canadians.
We listen to members, volunteers, older Canadians. We also listen to the perspective of allied organisations, stakeholders and a diversity of experts. And we share the issues that matter to older Canadians with the public, the media, decision-makers and of course, the government. CARP also takes into consideration the topics most likely to the of interest to the government and therefore more likely to be acted upon. For those issues not top of mind for the policy makers, CARP executes and education program to try to bring those important topics to the forefront.
You can read more about how we advocate here.
Budget Consultations
Advocating on issues of importance to older Canadians entails engaging in key government processes, such the Budget (usually tabled in March), the blueprint for how the Government wants to set the annual economic agenda for Canada.
For the past 30 years, the House of Commons Finance Committee has asked organizations and individuals to provide it with advice as it decides on its federal budget recommendations to the Minister of Finance. Each year, CARP, along with other organizations and individuals, submits recommendations for funding and policy ideas we’d like to see included in the annual federal budget.
These are known as Pre-Budget Consultations. During these consultations, the committee solicits written submissions from individual Canadians and interested organizations during the summer, holds public hearings (often across the country during the fall) and presents a report to the House of Commons in December. The committee’s report, which reflects the opinion of a majority of its members, summarizes the submissions and testimony it received and makes recommendations to the government for the upcoming budget[1]
“Since 2025 is an election year,” says Bill VanGorder, Chief Education and Advocacy Officer, “Budget 2025 is going to be very important as it will be a platform document for the governing Liberals. For the Conservatives, NDP and other parties they will be looking at all the submitted budget proposals and considering those ideas for their own platforms.”
The Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) 2025 Budget Submission
CARP’s 2025 Budget submission lays out our top priorities for improving the lives of older Canadians through eight targeted recommendations. Here is a summary of our submission. If you’d like to see the full document, you can see it here
- Pharmacare
Ensure that the implementation of a national pharmacare program improves coverage for the uninsured, underinsured and those facing affordability challenges and does not impact the ability of Canadians to continue to benefit from private drug coverage.
- Adult Vaccination Programs
This is why we urge the federal government in its 2025 budget to invest additional resources into the National Immunization Strategy to help the provinces and territories ensure the latest approved and recommended vaccines are accessible to older Canadians and to implement public awareness campaigns to increase vaccination rates.
- Home Care
The Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) is urging the Federal government to recognize that home care and community-based care solutions are critical to resolving the long-term care crisis.
- Financial Security
With most older Canadians living on fixed incomes, they are grappling with rising costs, growing inflation, and an unpredictable economy that further erodes their retirement savings.
A number of key reforms are needed to provide Canadians with a secure and robust means of saving for retirement and ensuring their financial stability.
- Dental Coverage
To ensure that a Canada Dental Plan adequately addresses inequities and access issues for seniors, we strongly recommend that the federal government review critical areas where immediate attention and resources are needed to correct course and enhance the effectiveness of the plan
- COVID Protection
CARP asks that the Federal Government continue to fund COVID-19 vaccines to ensure that all Canadians, regardless of their where they live, receive the vaccines recommended by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) and other experts.
- Affordable, Accessible Housing
Given the ongoing housing crisis, it is crucial for the federal government to collaborate closely with provincial partners to develop proactive and innovative housing solutions. We need immediate action to address the shortage of accessible, safe, and affordable housing such as co-housing and other affordable housing solutions in both rural and urban areas, rather than waiting decades for new developments.
- Seniors Health and Fitness
Proactively funding of senior fitness is an innovative way to encourage better health and relieve excess costs from the beleaguered system.
You can read more about each advocacy priority in the ‘Our Advocacy’ Section of our website.
We welcome your feedback.
[1] [1] https://lop.parl.ca/sites/PublicWebsite/default/en_CA/ResearchPublications/201541E#a5.1
