Marston's Statement on Seniors and the Economic Crisis

Mr. Speaker, as I proudly rise in the House today, I want to thank the electors of Hamilton East--Stoney Creek for voting to once again honour me with their trust to represent them in this place.

Members will know that many seniors have only their government pensions to sustain them. Earlier this summer, my staff received numerous complaints from seniors who began receiving letters from the government announcing their pensions were increasing by 42¢ a month. Members heard it correctly, a mere 42¢ a month. How insulting.

Now with this huge economic downturn facing Canada, we hear that Canadians must bail out this bank or that corporation. What can seniors expect from the government? History shows us that in hard economic times, the poor and the seniors on fixed incomes suffer the most, prices go up and their buying power goes down and they slip farther and farther behind.

The government needs to put a strategy forward for seniors, and I will fight to ensure that it does.