Since moving to this great province two years ago, I've learned the biggest issues on the forefront of everyone’s minds relate to seniors.
From affordable and comfortable seniors housing options, to the lack of assisted living facilities, to the prison-quality centralized food force-fed to seniors and delivery of health care, it's clear this election in many ways is all about seniors.
It's a referendum on the record of the government, and all signs point to this being a tough sell for incumbent PC MLAs across the province.
Seniors are our most valuable citizens. They are our mothers and fathers, grandmas and grandpas, for some, great grandfathers and great grandmothers. They are the ones that built this great province and we owe them not just an adequate – but a comfortable and high standard once they need help with day to day living.
Seniors care and health care motivated St. Paul's Raymond Germain to seek the Senate nomination. It's something he's intimately familiar with – and a good reason to support him at the ballot box. He wants to change the way seniors are treated in their “golden years” with an amendment to the Canada Health Act. This is a great message being said at an important time in this province's history.
Seniors are likely the largest voting block in the province, so it is no surprise that the 2012 provincial election really is all about what seniors are thinking this time around.
We all aspire to reach our golden years and to live a dignified life. Seniors have the right to expect some good home cooking after booking into a seniors facility.
It’s surprising the governing party has not yet put this matter on its platform, as the quality of food served from a centralized distributor continues to be a common complaint, one that has been registered loudly and strongly by the Region 2 Alberta Council on Aging. It’s a concern we can’t afford to ignore, but which the governing party has unfortunately continued to defend.
Some politicians, flak-catchers and party-friendly publicists have claimed this election has brought about fear mongering. They're right. The fear mongers are the people trying to scare people into accepting centrally distributed food in their old age, instead of demanding what is their due, a nice home cooked meal. People should be afraid, but not for the reasons these bozos say – people should be afraid of more of the same.
According to some, government has failed seniors. It’s time for seniors to decide whether or not to pass the government after a thorough look at its 41-year record.
