October 19, 2004

Honorable Senators...

Even for those of us who work within the heart of our parliamentary democracy, the vastness and complexity of the federal government can often be daunting.

Here in the Senate, we have incredible resources. We have access to the parliamentary library, researchers, transcripts, and it is often much easier for us to simply call government departments and request information.

In spite of the volume of information available, I still think the large size of the federal government can be daunting.

Now, imagine that you are a retired Canadian, struggling to make ends meet on limited resources, no access to researchers, librarians, internal Internet services and the counsel of your peers.

In such a situation, how can the individual Canadian begin the task of comprehending the responsibilities and opportunities that are required and available?

In the area of responsibilities, the task is made much easier.

In the case of the Canada Revenue Agency, there are literally armies of public servants equipped with the very best data bases and resources who will ensure that Canadians are meeting their responsibilities and obligations to the public purse.

And so it should be virtually every Canadian recognizes the need of individual responsibility to the collective good, Canadians understand their individual duty to the greater good.

But what about the opposite? What about the obligation of the federal government to ensure that all Canadians fully understand the opportunities to which they are entitled?

In particular, Honorable Senators, I am referring to the Guaranteed Income Supplement, which is available to thousands of low-income Canadian seniors, but is not being paid to all those individuals.

In my opinion, the fact that so many Canadian seniors are not receiving this financial benefit, is a clear indication of a basic flaw in the relationship between the federal government and the individuals the government seeks to serve.

As all Honorable Senators know, the Guaranteed Income Supplement is a program created by the federal government, to deliver additional money to low-income seniors.

It is a supplement paid directly to those Canadians who receive Old Age Security, but who have either little or no other income.

This supplement is a great program and it can make a tremendous difference for those Canadians struggling to make ends meet.

For example, a single senior with no income other than Old Age Security may be eligible for a supplement of more than $6,600 per year.

Honorable Senators, the supplement can mean the difference for many thousands of Canadians. A difference between a daily struggle to make ends meet and a reasonably assured income.

Across Canada, the Guaranteed Income Supplement assists about 1.4-million Canadians and it has made a real contribution to the quality of life enjoyed by many seniors.

However, a gap has developed between government’s good intentions and the way the program is being delivered across Canada.

In the past, many Canadian seniors did not receive the supplement because they were unaware of the program requirements.

In 2001, the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities released a report which was called The Guaranteed Income Supplement: The Duty to Reach All.

The thrust of this report was to point out government’s obligation to let all qualified seniors know which benefits were available and to make it as easy as possible for seniors to apply.

Honourable Senators, Statistics Canada estimated in 2 000 that there were over 500 potential eligible seniors in PEI who were not receiving the GIS benefit. These estimates referred only to seniors who filed tax returns.

Honorable Senators, it is my understanding that there has been some improvements in this area.

Human Resources Development created a Take-Up Initiative which had the objective of reaching seniors that may be eligible for the supplement and asking them to apply.

In my own province of Prince Edward Island, a number of seniors were sent information and more are now receiving the supplement. In PEI, there were 338 seniors identified during the 2002 take up initiative who were receiving OAS benefits but not GIS. Of the 338 pre-filed letters sent to these seniors over 70% returned the application and were put into pay.

As a result, in 2002 there were nearly 9,300 Prince Edward Island seniors receiving the supplement and I am quite sure it has made a substantial difference in their lives.

I am concerned that seniors who have not applied or failed to file income tax returns may very well be the ones who are most in need.

They may lack the ability to complete the application form, be socially isolated, or simply not aware of the benefit to which they are entitled.

Within the federal government, there is information available to the Ottawa bureaucracy which would allow it to identify those seniors who are qualified to receive the supplement.

As a member of the Senate Committee on National Finance, I was surprised to learn at a recent meeting that the projections for the fiscal year show a national decrease of over 39, 000 in the forecast number of potential G.I.S. recipients.

Such a major decrease leads one to question how many seniors who live in a very low-income bracket, and who are eligible for the G.I.S., are not receiving the supplement.

Yes, improvements have been made, but isn’t it an obligation of government to go the extra mile, to make sure that everyone who is qualified receives this assistance?

Currently, the problem is that there are restrictions and barriers in place. Seniors who do not file tax returns may be completely unaware of the Supplement’s existence and the government seems to have no way of directly contacting seniors who don’t file income tax returns.

And looked at from the other end of the telescope, doesn’t the federal government expend a huge amount of effort making sure that Canadians pay their taxes?

Shouldn’t government also ensure that it pays its qualified citizens?

Certainly, we have seen significant progress in reducing poverty among senior citizens in Canada.

Statistics Canada reports that the poverty rate for seniors has declined steadily in the past 10 years, going from 10.8 per cent to 7.3 per cent today.

The Government of Canada should be pleased that seniors now have one of the lowest poverty rates of any group in our country.

Still, the government is responsible to ensure that everyone who is qualified receives the assistance.

I would also encourage all Honorable Senators to use their positions to publicize the G.I.S. program.

And finally, I call on the Minister of Social Development and the federal bureaucracy to re-double their efforts, to make sure that Canadian citizens are reaping the full benefit to which they are entitled as citizens of this country.

Thank you.