BC FORUM News - From The Advocate, Summer 2015

Federal election preparations dominate annual meeting

Preparations for the next federal election – scheduled for October 19 – dominated the BC FORUM Annual General Meeting, held June 17 in Vancouver. Issues affecting older and retired workers and their families were at the forefront in keynote speeches, and in resolutions adopted by delegates.

Diane Wood, BC FORUM President, underlined the need to focus on the federal election as she presented the volunteer Board of Directors’ annual report to the meeting.

She noted that the Harper Conservatives have repeatedly made decisions that hurt ordinary families. Their actions include voting against a sorely needed national strategy to help individuals and families affected by dementia, undermining retirement security by raising to 67 the qualifying age for old age security and the guaranteed income supplement and refusing to improve the CPP, and unilaterally cutting the federal contribution to public health care.

Jenny Kwan, the NDP’s candidate in the federal riding of Vancouver East and currently MLA for Vancouver - Mount Pleasant, said the health of some seniors is being compromised by both federal and provincial cuts.

For example, service to seniors who have been receiving home support for up to 10 years, and whose conditions have worsened in that period, has suddenly been cut to only one hour a week for a bath.

Kwan said action is needed to improve Canadians’ access to public health care, appropriate and affordable housing, transportation, and health care.

Aaron Ekman, Secretary - Treasurer of the BC Federation of Labour, said the Liberals and Conservatives are fundamentally only red and blue factions of the same party, representing the same narrow segment of society.

The NDP, he said, is made up of and represents people like us.

Ekman dismissed the suggestion that people should vote for the candidate who is most likely to be able to defeat the local Conservative.

How do you determine who that is, he asked. Polls are frequently inaccurate. The best option is to vote for the change you want to build our country and make it a better place.