All four national parties are promising to increase spending far more per capita for senior citizens than for those under age 45, according to a new analysis from the lobby group Generation Squeeze.
The report鈥檚 author, Prof. Paul Kershaw of the University of British Columbia, analyzed the parties costing documents and found:
- Conservatives would spend $2,691 per person age 65+ and $494 per person under 45.
- New Democrats would spend $2,997 per person age 65+ and $822 per person under 45.
- Liberals would spend $3,008 per person age 65+ and $835 per person under 45.
- Greens would spend $2,948 per person age 65+ and $1,004 per person under 45.
鈥淔or every dollar of what the parties are talking about for investing in seniors, they鈥檙e only talking about really pocket change when it comes to investing in younger Canadians,鈥� he told CTV鈥檚 Race to the Hill.
For the under-45 age group, who make up 55 per cent of the population, the Conservatives are planning to increase total spending by about $10 billion, the NDP and Liberals by about $17 billion, and the Greens by $21 billion.
In contrast, all four parties have committed to spending between $18 billion and $20 billion for the 18 per cent of Canadians over age 65.
The biggest commitment by far, which all four parties have made, is a roughly $13-billion increase to senior's benefits like Old Age Security.
Much of the new spending on the under-45s would come in the form of cash for families, child care, medical care, infrastructure and employment insurance.
Very little new money would be spent on education, housing or job training, which mostly impacts younger people.
Kershaw said the continued focus on seniors is partly due to the fact that younger generations haven鈥檛 participated enough in the political process, or made the case that 鈥渆conomic vulnerability鈥� in Canada has shifted to younger people.
鈥淧olitics still responds to those who organize and show up, and younger Canadians historically have not shown up at the ballot box,鈥� he said.
鈥淎nd more importantly, in my view, they鈥檙e less organized in the years before the election.鈥�
In contrast, the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP), 鈥渋s organized in between elections, taking their message to all the parties,鈥� he said.
Generation Squeeze, a lobby group for those in their 20s, 30s and 40s, has just begun its lobbying efforts.
Kershaw isn鈥檛 suggesting governments spend less on seniors but he wants less disparity.
鈥淚t鈥檚 younger Canadians that make thousands less for full-time work than the Baby Boomer generation (did) when they were young,鈥� he says.
鈥淚t鈥檚 younger people who have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars more in the very housing markets that are driving up the wealth of the typical person 65 and older.鈥�
鈥淲hen you see how parties are prioritizing new money, it鈥檚 disproportionately going to my mom and my grandmother,鈥� he adds.
鈥淢y mom and my grandmother want to leave proud legacies for their kids and grandchildren, and that involves federal governments adapting to new pressures facing young Canadians.鈥�
The full report, titled By the Numbers: A generational guide to voting in the 2015 federal election, provides a non-partisan overview of each party鈥檚 platform and
