Connie Cody

Mr. Speaker, every G7 country faces global headwinds, yet only one is choosing to make inflation worse through domestic policy. Canada now leads the G7 in food price inflation, carries the only shrinking G7 economy and faces fuel costs nearly 20% higher than the United States, because the Liberal government is adding an industrial carbon tax and a fuel standard tax that will reach 17¢ per litre. [more]

Prime Minister Mr. Speaker, Canada's auto industry is in crisis. Since the Liberal government took office, production is down 50%, exports are down 50%, and thousands of jobs are gone. The Liberalthinks we should surrender, but Conservatives say we should act. We put forward a new auto pact, with real solutions to make it easier to build and buy Canadian, restore free trade and protect [more]

Mr. Speaker, Unifor has been approaching a lot of members of Parliament, and its theme has been, “Buy Canadian, sell here and build here.” That is our policy. Why does my colleague think the Liberals are fighting it?

I'd like to move to Rose Joudi for a question. There are a lot of challenges that affect only women or have a much higher effect on women, such as leaving the workforce to care for children and women-related health issues, to name just a few. What are some ways these women-specific challenges manifest themselves later in life and in retirement?

You mentioned caregivers a lot. Nearly 40% of caregivers are at a breaking point due to distress, yet the wage budget of $347.8 million continues to fund theoretical research rather than direct respite. How would a shift toward direct, refundable caregiver benefits reduce the risk of elder abuse by alleviating the financial desperation that so often precipitates domestic conflict?

Thank you, Chair. Through you, I really appreciate all the witnesses coming out today. Your background and advocacy allow you to share important insights that are very informative for this very important study. Fraud and scams are targeting seniors. It's an issue many of us are hearing about in our communities with increasing frequency, so I appreciate everyone being here to share their [more]

Thank you. I'll go back to Pierre Lynch. CMHC data show that the gap in core housing need between men and women widens as they age, hitting 14.6% for women over 75. Effectively, the government has ignored the age-gender dynamics in its national housing strategy. What things do you see that need to change to adequately address this?

I've been hearing that older women are less knowledgeable about technology, and more isolated, so I would also like to ask about the growing role of technology, particularly artificial intelligence, voice cloning and the deepfakes you mentioned. I'm hearing from residents who say that these tools are making scams far more convincing. From a policing perspective, how is this changing the scam and [more]

Another way widowed senior women are disadvantaged by government policies is through the CPP survivor's pension. When a woman's partner passes away, she becomes eligible for the survivor's pension, but it can never exceed the maximum individual CPP payment. Effectively, a household could go from nearly $3,000 in CPP down to $1,500 when a spouse dies, and the government takes back the deceased [more]

Thank you, Chair. I really appreciate the opportunity to have the witnesses here today to discuss what I feel is a really important issue that hasn't been properly addressed. In my riding, I'm hearing a lot about concerns and issues. I'd like to share a letter I received from one of my community members. She typed it out because she has arthritis and her handwriting is very bad. I send out [more]

I would like to move to Joanne Blinco. Just recently, I was up in northern Ontario. I had a really long conversation with the chief of police up there. I was very surprised to hear how much elder abuse has increased. It's third on their list, next to intimate partner violence and child exploitation. In your research, what is the primary source of abuse and vulnerability for senior women [more]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the response from the member opposite, but there is more we can be doing. With Bell Canada designating Cambridge as a hot spot for copper theft, it is a real and ongoing risk for people in my community who depend on reliable power and cell service, especially during emergencies. The experts are clear: We need tougher penalties for thieves and vandals, deterrence for [more]