in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, A ug us t 16 ,2 01 8 | 8 ABOUT US This newspaper, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised family of newspapers is comprised f of more than 80 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the news- paper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca editor@oakvillebeaver.com facebook.com/OakvilleBeavfacebook.com/OakvilleBeavf @OakvilleBeaver WHO WE ARE VP, Regional Publisher Kelly Montague Regional Managing Editor Catherine O'Hara Regional Manager Digital Content Karen Miceli Director of Distribution Charlene Hall Circulation Manager Kim Mossman Director of Production Mark Dills Regional Production Manager Manny Garcia Regional General Manager Steve Foreman Halton Media General Manager Vicki Dillane Regional Director of Media Holly Chriss CONTACT US Oakville Beaver 901 Guelph Line Burlington, ON L7R 3N8 Phone: 289-293-0617 Classifieds: 1-800-263-6480 Digital/Flyer/Retail: 289-293-0624 Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 200 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We for verification purposes. We f reserve the right to edit, con- dense or reject letters. Delivery For all delivery inquiries, please e-mail kmossman@metroland.com or call 905-631-6095. OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT INSIDEHALTON.COM Canada's senior citizens are an important and val- ued segment of our society. They built our economic and cultural foundations, and they continue to con- tribute to society through semi-retirement jobs, ex- tensive volunteer work, and mentoring. The well-being of our seniors is a priority for our federal government, and we have put in place several programs to assist them. The previous Conserva- tive government planned to raise the eligibility age for old age security (OAS)for old age security (OAS)f and the Guaranteed In- come Supplement (GIS) to 67, wreaking havoc with the retirement dreams of countless Canadians. One of the first changes made by our Liberal government was restoring the eligibili- ty age to 65. It is only fair to give seniors the option of retiring at age 65. To make life more af- fordable for our seniorsfordable for our seniorsf and retirees, we've made changes to ensure that they receive their benefits as soon as possible. Tar- geted outreach to seniors who qualify for OAS and GIS, and auto enrolment of GIS benefits will help se- niors benefit promptly from programs designedfrom programs designedf for them.for them.f We have also increasedWe have also increasedW OAS and GIS benefits. A senior can receive up to $1,700 more annually, compared to before we were in government. Phased increases to Cana- da Pension Plan (CPP) benefits will increase the maximum retirement ben- efit by up to 50 per cent. These improvements will give seniors greater finan- cial security. Enjoying our retire- ment years at home is something we all want. Our federal government is making 'aging in place' a reality for many seniors by improving access to af- fordable housing, support-fordable housing, support-f ing caregivers with tax credits and employment insurance benefits, and in- vesting in home health care. Our commitment to se- niors is clearly evident in the recent appointment of Filomena Tassi as the first minister of seniors. Tassi will help to ensure that federal programs meet thefederal programs meet thef needs of our aging popula- tion. Our federal govern- ment wants every Canadi- an senior to receive the support and care they need. I am proud of the in- vestments made to close gaps in our system and help our seniors retire with dignity. John Oliver is the mem- ber of parliament for Oak- ville. Visit johnoliver.mp or contact him at john.oli- ver@parl.gc.ca. IMPROVING THE LIVES OF CANADIAN SENIORS INCREASES GIVE SENIORS GREATER FINANCIAL SECURITY, WRITES OLIVER There's an old phrase that describes something which is trivial, trifling, inconsequential and of no importance. It's "small beer." Doug Ford's promise of "buck-a-beer" is small beer. With much fanfare and loads of self-congratula- tions, Ontario's premier announced earlier this month that his Progressive Conservative government was keeping an election campaign pledge and, as of Aug. 27, would allow the province's brewers to onceAug. 27, would allow the province's brewers to onceA again sell a bottle of suds for a mere loonie. Those dastardly Liberals had raised the price floor for beer from a dollar a bottle to $1.25 back in 2008for beer from a dollar a bottle to $1.25 back in 2008f with "another piece of red tape," the premier fumed. But a return to buck-a-beer would be his gift to hard- working Ontarians who love a bargain as well as a brew. In this case, however, cheap beer is just cheap poli- tics. Ford is offering a solution to a non-existent prob- lem. To be sure, Ontario faces major challenges today. Unaffordable beer isn't one of them. In contrast, more and more people fear home ownership is out of reach. Many poor Ontarians can't even afford to pay rent. By Labour Day you can have a cold buck-a-beer in your hands again. At least if you can find one. Keep in mind this government isn't lowering the price of beer. It's just cutting a bottle's minimal price to a dollar. Many brewers have already said they can't afford to do that without losing money. So they won't. The world's changed since 2008. The costs of ingre- dients for beer along with workers' wages have risen. New American tariffs on aluminum have hiked the price for beer tins. Then, there are government taxes. They've risen, too. In Ontario, a typical case of 24 now has a hefty tax of $18.78 on it. That leaves little room for profit for a brewery trying to sell a case that size for $24. Ford does have the power to lower beer prices con- siderably by cutting the provincial taxes on the prod- uct. Of course, he's not considering that because pro- vincial coffers gain close to $600 million a year from beer and alcohol taxes. Instead, the premier is counting on the brewers to do the heavy-lifting to put buck-a-beer on the shelf. Perhaps some will do so. But what will we have really gained out of all this? For now, the promise of buck-a-beer sounds more like an insult than a favour. Does Ford really think this is a priority for Ontarians? Is he trying to dis- tract us by waving a shiny trinket in front our eyes? As government initiatives go, this one tastes flat and distinctly unsatisfying. DOUG FORD'S CHEAP BEER IS CHEAP POLITICS EDITORIAL JOHN OLIVER Column