Ottawa should look into Island Senator Percy Downe's concerns for senior citizens who apparently are entitled to, but aren't getting, the Guaranteed Income Supplement. As the senator himself might put it: the feds are willing enough to put resources into collecting our money. They should give the same attention to detail when the money should be flowing the other way.

Senator Downe drew attention to the issue last week when he called on Auditor General Sheila Fraser to audit the administration of the Guaranteed Income Supplement, which tops up the old age pension for modest-income senior citizens who qualify.

Using Statistics Canada figures from 2002, the senator says 134,775 seniors who were eligible for the supplement - including as many as 525 Islanders - weren't receiving it. And he doesn't mince words in saying this needs to be corrected. "Considering that the government spends huge amounts of money to ensure that Canadians pay their taxes, it should make an equal effort to ensure that it pays the money owed to citizens," he wrote in a letter to Auditor General Sheila Fraser earlier this month.

He's right. This isn't a matter of deciding whether certain people are eligible or not. That's already been determined. It's a matter of justice. All citizens should be dealt with fairly by their government.

The Guaranteed Income Supplement is a long-established benefit offered by the federal government to those seniors whose income entitles them to the extra assistance. It recognizes, among other things, the contributions of our seniors to the nation, both economically and otherwise. It also acknowledges that not all Canadians enter their senior years at the same level of financial security.

According to a report prepared last May by Prime Minister Paul Martin 's task force on aging, many Canadians over age 65 are living longer, and are enjoying financially comfortable lives. But 7.3 per cent of Canada's 4.1 million seniors are struggling financially. The task force proposed an increase in the Guaranteed Income Supplement - something the prime minister himself, prior to last June's election, pledged to deliver. Senator Downe is asking the prime minister to provide this increase in the upcoming federal budget.

No doubt Canada's seniors will be watching for this. But in the meantime, there should be no debate on the federal government's obligation to deliver existing benefits to those seniors who qualify. They shouldn't have to rely on senators to pound on Ottawa's door for them.