On Parliament Hill

Canadian seniors have played a central role in building this country. They have earned our respect and admiration and they deserve our support to help them enjoy the best quality of life possible.

Last week I had the privilege of announcing a total of $294,087 in funding for 19 local seniors groups through the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP). This funding will be used toward renovations and the purchase of new equipment for seniors clubs across Provencher.

The NHSP is a federal program that supports projects led or inspired by seniors that help encourage seniors to volunteer, support social participation and inclusion, improve seniors’ facilities and increase awareness on key issues such as elder abuse. Under the NHSP, up to $25,000 in grant funding can be provided to eligible organizations for community-based projects that are led or inspired by seniors.

By contributing through programs like NHSP, our government is acting to ensure that seniors maintain a good quality of life and continue to be active members of their communities.

The New Horizons for Seniors Program is just one example of how our Conservative Government has been working hard for seniors across Canada. We have also provided over $2.8 billion in annual tax relief to seniors and pensioners, implemented pension income-splitting and introduced the largest top-up to the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) for the lowest income seniors in a quarter century.

In fact, Canada’s low-income rate for seniors has fallen from 21.4 per cent in 1980 to 5.2 per cent in 2011; one of the lowest rates in the industrial world. In 2014, a single senior can earn at least $20,054 and a couple can earn at least $40,108 before paying federal income tax.

As a result of actions taken since 2006, approximately 380,000 seniors have been removed from the tax rolls completely.

Our seniors have helped build and shape our country. Our government will continue to work toward ensuring that the “golden years” for our seniors are truly golden.