VANCOUVER ISLAND, B.C- North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney wants to see Canada’s new ministry focus it’s efforts on those seniors who need it most.
That comes after an announcement from the federal government this week, introducing the new Ministry for Seniors, led by Ontario MP Filomena Tassi.
According to a press release from Blaney, while she was happy to see the government taking senior’s issues seriously, more information is still needed.
“We’ve long called for the creation of a federal department for seniors, led by a Minister for Seniors,” said the MP..
“What we need to know now is whether this minister will have a full department that can carry out the work so essential to seniors’ needs,” she said.
Blaney said she hopes to see a complete National Seniors Strategy introduced soon. According to her, there needs to be a particular focus on vulnerable seniors, including indigenous peoples, women living alone, people identifying as part of the LGBTQ2 community, racialized minorities and recent immigrants.
“With the number of seniors in Canada expected to double by 2036 we can’t afford to sit back and wait for problems to arise. We need to start preparing for those issues today,” she said.
“I look forward to working closely with Minister Tassi in my role as critic to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of our seniors now and well into the future.”