Seniors just can’t trust Ed Stelmach to look out for them

Ed Stelmach and the tired, old PC government are trying to convince Alberta seniors that his government is looking out for them. The truth is that the Stelmach government has let seniors down, time and time again, making it more difficult for them to enhance their quality of life.

• In 2005, the Auditor-General released a scathing report saying seniors didn’t have appropriate systems in place to manage continuing-care services and programs. The report outlined 13 recommendations ranging from standards for care to housing services, and the need to update standards and monitoring at long-term care facilities, costing $250 million to implement the recommendations. But the Auditor-General’s recommendations continue to be ignored, and the Stelmach government continues to fail seniors.
• Stelmach delayed taking action on protecting seniors from skyrocketing rents and property taxes and supporting affordable housing for seniors until days before the 2008 election.
• Alberta lacks a province-wide body for seniors’ issues, creating bureaucratic problems for the co-ordination of programs and services for seniors. The Stelmach government has done nothing to improve the delivery of services for seniors to ensure they are getting the best support they can.
• Stelmach’s PC functionaries blame low-income seniors for their low-income status. This is what an aide to Seniors Minister Greg Melchin told the a Legislature committee on November 28, 2007:


“In terms of the reasons why 40 per cent of seniors are on this program, I know Minister Melchin has commented that he views that as almost a bit of a disappointment from his perspective in that there are that many seniors on there. It’s an indication that perhaps as a society people haven’t prepared well enough for their retirement to do that.

“Ed Stelmach and his government have failed seniors in this province.  The Alberta Liberals have a plan for the diverse needs of seniors to ensure they enjoy the quality of life they deserve,” said Bridget Pastoor, the Alberta Liberal shadow minister for seniors and MLA for Lethbridge East.

Seniors can count on an Alberta Liberal government to stand up for seniors by:

• Increasing the number of dental procedures currently covered by the Dental Assistance for Seniors program;
• Inflation-proofing the Alberta Seniors Benefit by indexing it to the Alberta Consumer Price Index;
• Helping seniors keep their homes, establish a loan program for home repairs, with the loan to be repaid upon the sale of the house;
• Putting more money back into their pocket by establishing a home retrofit fund to allow average Albertans to pay for new energy efficient furnaces, windows and other home products.