VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - The Liberals are calling on Stephen Harper's government to consider the impacts its legislation is having on Canadians.
Interim Liberal Party leader
Bob Rae was in Vancouver Saturday, talking about what he expects in the next session of Parliament, which gets underway Monday.
Rae says the government has not been doing enough to consult provinces, and now is failing seniors.
He says Harper's recent signal that changes are coming to Old Age Security should not have happened at an economic conference in Europe.
"There aren't too many CEOs from Davos who are going to be affected by changes in the [Old Age Security] because they don't receive it, it all gets clawed back," he says. "So you've got to look realistically, you know, he should be coming right here, talking to people about the impact it's going to have."
Rae says when it comes to pensions, some of his key concerns are around seniors living in poverty.
"We have a significant issue with people who are receiving the old age pension who don't qualify for [Canada Pension Plan], and we have a lot of seniors who still don't apply for the guaranteed income supplement even though they qualify for it," says Rae.
He adds that gaps in education, healthcare and housing between First Nations
communities and other Canadians are an embarrassment and must be
addressed.
Speaking at the YWCA, Rae says the wave of aboriginal
"immigration'' from reserves during the last 50 years means the poverty
they face is no longer hidden.
Rae says many of Canada's largest cities now include "aboriginal
ghettos'' where the anger fuelled by inequality has led to suicide and
crime.
He says the Conservative government's response has been to build more
jails but that hasn't increased safety in communities or reduced crime.
But he says South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the United States
also deal with the same issues regarding their aboriginal people and no
country has come up with the right policy.
Rae says better social policies are also needed to address housing and mental health issues.
He will take part in Sunday's Chinese New Year Parade in Vancouver.