Madam Secretary, Canadians are alarmed by the growing reports of elder abuse across the country. In British Columbia, seniors’ advocates report a 21% rise in cases since 2019. In Ottawa, police have logged over 500 incidents of physical abuse and 417 cases of financial abuse in just five years. In Quebec, a provincial ombudsman has condemned the systematic use of restraints in a Montreal hospital as a form of abuse.

These are not isolated incidents; they point to a national crisis of neglect. Yet, after nearly a decade in power, this government still lacks a coordinated strategy or reliable data system to address this problem. Why has your government failed to show leadership or accountability in protecting Canada’s seniors from abuse?

I addressed this in a prior question, and I want to reiterate that abuse against seniors in any form is despicable. It is a crime and will not be tolerated.

We rely on and trust our officials and policing operations to ensure that they are holding people who commit these abuses and crimes to account. That’s why we are also taking action where the federal government is best positioned to do so, including through taking assault-style rifles off the street, strengthening bail reform, investing in law enforcement, protecting victims and ensuring that the justice system puts community safety first.

As you mentioned, financial fraud and other financial crimes are also occurring. We’re certainly aware of, and are tracking, scams targeting seniors, ones that falsely claim that government agencies are providing some sort of payment to those with low incomes. These are happening particularly often these days. These types of false information and scams often target those who may be less familiar with the latest technology. So we’re taking action to safeguard sensitive information and making that a top priority for all government departments.

Given that only one in five incidents of elder abuse are estimated to come to official attention, and with Canada’s aging population, will you, secretary, in consultation with your minister, commit to establishing a national elder abuse reporting and tracking system to close the data gap and better guide prevention policies across our country?

Thank you for the suggestion. I will certainly look into that. It terms of national tracking, I’m always interested in data and making data-informed decisions. That’s something that I know Canadians can rely on our Liberal government for. Thank you.