On October 16, 2013 the Second Session of the Forty-first Parliament of Canada opened with Governor General David Johnston’s Speech from the Throne outlining the federal government’s agenda for the session. The speech focused on four themes: jobs and the economy, security, infrastructure and Canadian values and history. While much of the proposed plan will impact older people in Canada, this important and growing subpopulation appear to be largely absent on the agenda; and portrayed in a more passive and ‘needy’ way as opposed to being recognized for the significant social and economic contributions most older people make to families, society and the nation as a whole.
It is our responsibility as Canadians to be informed about the government’s proposals for our future. The current government is our government, elected by Canadians to representour interests. In turn, it is our responsibility to work with government; to hold the government accountable, to be informed citizens, to be sources of information as well as enquiry, and to ensure that ‘age’ does not diminish a Canadian’s value in the eyes of any political party.
