Statement made on 06 October 2009 by Senator Sharon Carstairs (retired)
Hon. Sharon Carstairs:
Honourable senators, my question is to the Leader of the Government in the Senate. Let me begin by thanking the leader for tabling the government's response to the final report of the Special Senate Committee on Aging. I know that all members of that committee will read the government's response in detail, as I have.
My question today relates to poverty among those very seniors, the aging members of our society. We know that many seniors are living better than they have ever lived. They have more income than they have ever had. However, there are pockets of seniors who are living well below the poverty line. Honourable senators, I refer to single seniors, Aboriginal seniors, immigrant seniors and elderly women.
Can the government leader explain why the government has failed to give a further supplement to the Guaranteed Income Supplement, GIS, which would put those seniors in a position to live above the poverty line? As the minister knows, our report recommended such a supplement, as did the leader's own commission on seniors.
Why has the government failed to implement those recommendations?
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