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CONSERVATIVES BUNGLE WOOING SENIORS VOTES

Rolf Auer
April 11, 2011
Old age is the most unexpected of all things that happen to a man.
Diary In Exile, Leon Trotsk, 1!"!
#f $argaret Thatcher %ins on Thursda, # %arn ou not to &e ordinar, # %arn
ou not to &e oung, # %arn ou not to fall ill, and # %arn ou not to gro% old.
on the prospect of a Conservative re-election, 'eil (innock, speech at
)ridgend, *une +, 1!,-
# sa% ho% hard it is for our o%n societ e.er to &ecome %ise %hile old people
are ostraci/ed.
No Mans Land, 0eorge $on&iot, 1!!1
2ourteen3and3a3half million 4anadians are 1" ears old or more. The ha.e one of
the highestif not the highestturnouts for .oting in elections 5of all tpes6.
At election time senior citi/ens are %orth more than the rest of us. The .ote.
And that7s %h 4anadians %ill go to the polls for the third time in fi.e ears
o.er the 4onser.ati.es7 failure in 8the 20119 &udget to satisf an ':;
demand to enrich &enefits for the elderl<. 4onser.ati.e =eniors $inister
*ulian 2antino &elie.es the opposition parties are using seniors as >pa%ns in a
political arena.?
The Globe and Mail, >Three parties, one strateg@ 4apture the senior .ote,?
*oe 2riesen and *ohn #&&itson, $arch 2-, 2011
On April ,, 2011, the 4anadian Association of Retired ;ersons 54AR;6 fired off a
couple of press releases.
Long &efore the election %as called, 4AR; 8%%%.carp.ca9 4anada7s
largest association for older 4anadians %ith approximatel -"0,000 mem&ers
nation%ide raised a%areness for the issues of greatest importance to this
population including financial securit, pension and healthcare reform and
caregi.ers7 rights<. #t is not surprising that politicians of all stripes are
courting the seniors7 .ote A +0B of 4anadians o.er C" .ote regularl. There
are 1.C million 4anadians C"3plus or 11B of the population &ut %hen the
)oomer generation is added, there are 11." million 4anadians 1"3plus or 12B
of the population. Dhile the entire group is not homogenous, the concerns for
retirement securit and especiall caregi.er support resonate %ith them<.
$E:#A A:F#=ORG@ 4AR; :E)ATE 4O'=ERFAT#FE=, L#)ERAL=,
':; DOO THE =E'#OR FOTE DE:'E=:AG, A;R#L 1-<.2ITIRE
)ROA:4A=T@ THE 4AR; :E)ATE %ill &e &roadcast on FisionTF
Thursda, April 11 at Cpm ET and 2rida, April 1" at 1pm ET Rogers C0
50TA6J )ellTF 2C1J =ha% :irect -!1 or check local listings.
The 4onser.ati.es tried to &olster their position & pointing out ho% much &etter
off seniors %ould &e under the proposed 2011 Tor &udget.
84onser.ati.es =eniors $inister9 2antino .isited the )etter Li.ing
4ommunit 4entre in Toronto, outlining proposed impro.ements to the
0uaranteed #ncome =upplement 80#=9<. #n his statement 8$arch 219,
2antino said the proposed impro.ements %ould pro.ide single, lo%3income
seniors %ith up to KC00 in &enefits, %hile couples %ould recei.e K,10.
CP, >4onser.ati.es signal senior .ote %ill &e ke target,? $arch 21, 2011
Do%L Less than K12 per %eek increase for a single seniorL Hold me &ackL
Dant to &et that the 4onser.ati.es7 alread appro.ed raises for their political staff
are %orth Must a little &it more than thatN
#f =tephen Harper7s 4onser.ati.es are re3elected on $a 2, political aides in
ministerial offices could find a nice &onus %hen the return to %ork. The
Harper go.ernment has Ouietl appro.ed increases in the maximum salaries
political staffers are entitled to recei.e. #n addition, suddenl out3of3%ork
staffers could find the &lo% considera&l cushioned if the Tories %ere to lose
the election. That7s &ecause the go.ernment has also appro.ed a "03per3cent
increase in the maximum separation pa political aides can recei.e A up to six
months from four. That7s on top of se.erance pa.
The Globe and Mail, >;a hikes, se.erance deal appro.ed for Tor
staffers,? *oan )rden, April 10, 2011
=eniors don7t need to &e told to .ote. )ut the need to &e informed of %hich part
has the &est chance of defeating the Tories, and %hich %ill also treat them the &est in the
long run. The7.e &een around long enough that the don7t need to &e told ho% to find
out that information as %ell.

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