Data shows little provincial support for aging population
Posted Dec 1, 2015 12:56 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Shocking numbers Tuesday out of the Manning Centre, which feels provincial governments in Canada have done very little to prepare for their aging population.
Director Colin Craig filed a freedom of information request in each jurisdiction asking for documentation.
Most provinces, including Alberta, replied with there are no records. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick answered, but included no comprehensive numbers.
“It’s pretty basic,” Craig said. “They need to look at their long-term revenues and their long-term expenses. If, over the long-term, there’s a deficit, then they need to be making changes now, so they’re prepared for things in the future.”
“There’s going to be a lot of expenses for the provincial governments, especially in the area of health care, because older Canadians tend to require more expensive health procedures than younger Canadians,” added Craig. “This is just a fact of life that government’s need to be prepared for.”
Quebec still has yet to reply to the Manning Centre’s request.
