Election 2019: Seniors’ Issues Breakdown
October 17, 2019
We’re entering the final days of the 2019 federal election campaign. All parties have released their platforms and Canadians now have to make a choice on which party they want to form government and which leader they want to become prime minister.
Seniors in particular will play a large role in which party forms government. In the 2015 election, voter turnout for Canadians 65 and older was 83 per cent. By contrast, voter turnout amongst Canadians aged 18-34 in 2015 was 68.5 per cent. It’s important to note that while voter turnout amongst older Canadians tends to remain high and constant over time, the youth vote varies from election to election. Younger voters showed up to the ballot box in 2015 at a considerably higher rate (10 percentage points more) compared to 2011.
With over 6 million Canadians over the age of 65, we can expect again a high rate and high number of seniors to vote. Political parties are well aware that winning depends in large part on what they can do for seniors. To that end, the NIA compiled the promises made to older Canadians by each major national party. We see commonalities among the parties on the issues that seniors care about, namely more support to allow Canadians to age at home and more financial support. There’s also consensus that Canadians want some level of improvement in drug coverage. Despite a recognition from all parties on the common issues that motivate seniors, each party has taken different policy directions in their aim to court seniors’ support.
In alphabetical order, we laid out what each party is promising on seniors’ issues.
Conservative Party of Canada Platform - “Andrew Scheer’s Plan for You to Get Ahead”
The Conservative Party of Canada proposes to increase the Age Credit by $1,000 so that a senior couple making less than $37,790 each will receive the full Age Credit. While seniors making $37,790-$87,750 will receive a specified amount based on income. At the maximum level, an older Canadian would be eligible for an additional $150 per year. The Conservative platform also promises to maintain Old Age Security (OAS) eligibility at age 65, in contrast to the previous Conservative government. The Conservative Party is also promising to remove the GST from home energy bills.
On pensions, the Conservatives promise to mandate federally regulated companies to report on the solvency of their pension funds, to allow the transfer of an underfunded pension plan to a more successful plan, and to restrict bonuses for executives of companies undergoing bankruptcy.
Conservatives have also pledged to increase health transfer payments by at least 3 per cent annually and uphold the health accord with provinces and territories. They are the only party not committed to universal pharmacare, but promise instead to focus drug coverage on Canadians without provincial or workplace coverage.
The party has also promised $1.5 billion to buy more MRI and CT machines and to expand eligibility for the disability tax credit.
Link to full platform: https://cpc-platform.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/CPC_Platform_8.5x11_FINAL_EN_OCT14_web.pdf
Green Party of Canada - “Honest. Ethical. Caring. Leadership. - Election Platform 2019”
The Green Party’s platform is proposing to establish a universal Guaranteed Livable Income (GLI) program to replace the current disability payments, social assistance, and income supplements for seniors. They are also proposing to provide financing to non-profit housing organizations and cooperatives to build and restore quality, energy efficient housing for seniors, people with special needs and low-income families.
The Green Party also pledges to develop a National Seniors Strategy that includes a promise to support innovative home sharing plans and, “other measures to allow people to stay in their homes.” They also pledge to create more long-term beds in neighbourhood facilities.
As part of their National Seniors Strategy commitment, the Green Party focuses in on pensions. They want to increase the target income replacement rate of Canada Pension Plan (CPP) from 25 per cent to 50 per cent. They will also regulate the CPP Investment Board to require the divestment of coal, oil, and gas shares. The Green Party also promises to establish the preeminence of pensioners and pension plans in creditor hierarchy during company insolvency. The Green Party promises to develop a National Dementia Strategy and amend Medical Assistance in Dying legislation to allow advance directives and the right to draw up a living will.
They are also running on the promise to expand federally mandated health coverage to include universal pharmacare and dental coverage for low-income Canadians.
Link to full platform: https://www.greenparty.ca/sites/default/files/platform_2019_web_update_oct_6.pdf
Liberal Party of Canada Platform- “Forward: A Real Plan for the Middle Class”
The Liberal Party platform includes a promise to increase OAS for seniors aged 75-plus by 10 per cent, which would amount to a maximum of $729 more per year. The platform claims this will lift more than 20,000 seniors out of poverty. They also promise to enhance the CPP Survivor’s Benefit for widowers by 25 per cent, providing up to $2,080 more per year. The party estimates this will benefit 1.2 million seniors.
The party is also proposing new measures to combat elder abuse, including moving forward with a national definition of elder abuse, investments in data collection, and new penalties in the criminal code in relation to elder abuse.
Finally, Liberals have promised to take "critical next steps" toward a national pharmacare program and to continue providing provinces and territories a 3 per cent annual health transfer increase with more funding for home care programs.
Link to full platform: https://2019.liberal.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/292/2019/09/Forward-A-real-plan-for-the-middle-class.pdf
New Democratic Party (NDP) - “A New Deal for People: New Democrats’ Commitments to You”
The NDP platform also promises to create a National Seniors Strategy, “to make seniors’ healthcare a priority, reduce isolation and address seniors’ poverty.” This includes a National Dementia Strategy and an elder abuse prevention plan. The NDP are also proposing a national pharmacare plan, which will provide prescription medication to seniors. They also want to expand health care coverage to include mental health, dental, eye and hearing coverage.
The party is also proposing to put in place a one-year delay to help seniors at risk of having their Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) benefits suspended for being unable to make the required income statement. They also pledge to make automatic enrolment in the OAS and the GIS retroactive.
For Caregivers, the NDP platform includes a proposal to make the Canada Caregiver Tax Credit refundable. The party also says that their plan to create half a million affordable housing units will include accessible housing to benefit seniors.
Finally, the NDP promises to address seniors’ isolation by working with cities to, “make transit more affordable and convenient, create more community recreation spaces, and support innovative housing solutions like intergenerational co-housing.”
Link to full platform: https://action.ndp.ca/page/-/2019/Q2/2019-06-19_Commitments-Doc_EN.pdf
What are these promises going to cost?
This election is the first in Canada’s history where the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) has launched a new service to cost the political platforms. Parties have to submit a request to have the party platform costed and then the PBO is required to publicly post the full costing analysis of party platform planks on its website at https://www.pbo-dpb.gc.ca/en/epc-estimates.
Please see below for platform plank costing currently available from all parties on issues related to seniors:
Conservative Party of Canada: Age Tax Credit Increase costing
Green Party: Canada Pension Plan (CPP) replacement rate enhancement costing
Green Party: Pharmacare costing
Liberal Party of Canada: Old Age Security Increase costing
New Democratic Party: Pharmacare costing
After the 2015 election, the Alliance for a National Seniors Strategy launched An Evidence Informed National Seniors Strategy for Canada and presented it to the elected government at the time. You can see our achievements to date here. We are currently consulting an updated version of the National Seniors Strategy to present to the next elected government. You can add your voice and take a look at how our National Seniors Strategy stacks up against the party platforms: http://consultation.nationalseniorsstrategy.ca/.
Now that you have the party platforms, here is what you need to know to vote:
Your riding: https://www.elections.ca/scripts/vis/FindED?L=e&PAGEID=20
The candidates: https://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=can&dir=cand/lst&document=index&lang=e
What you need to take with you: https://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=id&document=index&lang=e
The National Institute on Ageing is a Ryerson University think tank focused on the realities of Canada’s ageing population. We are Canada’s only think tank dedicated to policy solutions at the intersections of healthcare, financial security, and social well-being. Through our work, our mission is to enhance successful ageing across the life course and to make Canada the best place grow up and grow old.
By Arianne Persaud, Communications and Public Affairs Manager, National Institute on Ageing | Email: arianne.persaud@ryerson.ca. Follow us on Twitter and sign up for our mailing list.