A group of five seniors’ organizations, representing tens of thousands of Manitobans, have come together to ensure issues facing older adults are central to the current provincial election campaign.
“We have come together because we need to make sure the next government understands the issues that are important to us,” said Marvin Krawec, President of the Retired Teachers Association of Manitoba, who announced the coalition today against the backdrop of Pembina Active Living (55+). “We have helped build this province and this country. With Seniors Vote 2016, we intend to continue that work by talking directly to both voters and politicians.”
Called Seniors Vote 2016, the coalition’s goal is to raise awareness of six main issues:
- Retirement Income Security
- Affordable Housing
- Health Care
- Transportation
- Social Engagement and Participation
- Healthy Aging, Quality of Life
The coalition consists of the Retired Teachers Association of Manitoba, Manitoba Association of Seniors Centres, Active Living Coalition for Older Adults (MB), Transportation Options Network for Seniors, and the Canadian Association for Retired Persons (CARP) – West Winnipeg. Together these groups have a collective membership of more than 30,000. The coalition plans to take part in the public debate during the election by talking directly to its membership bases, speaking through the media and by encouraging the public to get to know these issues. It will use the hashtag #seniorsvote2016 to draw attention to the campaign on social media.
“We have sent a list of questions to each of the three largest political parties,” said Krawec. “We will be sharing their responses with our memberships in the days ahead and with the public to ensure we all know where the parties stand on these issues.”
Social Engagement for Older Adults is Vital
Tom Farrell, President of the Manitoba Association of Senior Centres used the launch to highlight the need for government to encourage more social engagement among older adults. “We know that older adults who continue to participate socially as they age have enhanced quality of life and better overall health. There are many centres catering to older adults across Manitoba, but most operate on a shoestring budget with little public funding or support. We need to change that.”
The coalition will highlight other issues during the course of the campaign.
There are 185,300 adults aged 65 and older or about 14.5 per cent of Manitoba’s population, according to the Manitoba Government website. There are an additional 157,000 aged 55 to 64 (12.3 per cent). Together those groups make up more than a quarter of the population and they tend to vote in high numbers. Adults aged 55 and older vote more than younger age groups. According to Elections Canada, adults aged 65 to 74 are most likely to vote, with a 75 per cent turnout during the 2011 federal election.
