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Montreal Gazette, QC
Aug 21 2012
Charest focuses on seniors: Pledges to keep elderly at home
By Max Harrold, The GazetteAugust 21, 2012
MONTREAL - Surrounded by a family in St. Henri that supports him, Jean
Charest talked about the love and caring only a family can give,
adding it is priceless but worth supporting with cash.
In one of his only outings to a family home so far this election
campaign, the Liberal leader, stuck in second in opinion polls, seemed
touched by the welcome he received Tuesday from three generations of
the Pogharian family.
Charest stood in the family's backyard in the St-Henri-Ste-Anne riding
to announce that if re-elected, the Liberals will nearly double the
tax deduction for seniors' caregivers, to $2,104 per year, during its
five-year mandate. This measure, to cost $56 million annually, would
help keep seniors at home and, when possible, living with their
families, he said.
`The love and companionship family and friends provide is
irreplaceable and you can't put a price on that,' Charest said. `We
can give people a hand and we are giving a hand, but these are things
in life that cannot be measured.'
There are an estimated 55,000 caregivers for seniors in the province,
according to the last provincial budget.
At Charest's side was the riding's MNA, Marguerite Blais, the minister
for seniors. Although Blais won the riding easily in 2008, recent
polls have her in a tough fight. A compilation of polls by
www.tooclosetocall.ca says Blais is trailing her PQ opponent by six
percentage points.
The Liberals also want to help what they call `inter-generational
households.' Charest said families that buy a home or renovate a home
to share with elderly relatives could qualify for an interest-free
loan of $10,000, repayable over 10 years. This would cost the
government $1.5 million in a five-year mandate. The homeowner or
renovator could be an elderly parent or an adult child.
`I like Mr. Charest,' said Pogharian, 52, an architect who built his
triplex. `My first connection with Mr. Charest was bumping into him
two or three years ago at a grocery store. I was with the kids. He
spent more time talking to the kids and telling them that if they have
any trouble with me they're to call him,' Pogharian recalled,
laughing. `He gave the kids his own personal cellphone number, but
they haven't shared it with me.'
Pogharian said having his 78-year-old mother live in one of the units
in his building is marvellous. `We've lived it and this helped us a
great deal,' Pogharian said.
`She taught the kids Armenian and the kids help her keep up with the
latest trends.'
Extra money in the form of a bigger tax credit is great, he said. `I
remember 15 or 16 years ago when we built this house our budget was so
tight that any little bit would have helped.'
Later, Charest downplayed a call by a long-time Liberal organizer in
Quebec City for Liberals to vote for the Coalition Avenir Québec.
Jean-Paul Boily, a party organizer and fundraiser for 30 years, told
98.5 FM radio Liberal candidates are lagging in several ridings and he
is backing the CAQ to avert a PQ majority government.
`I don't want to comment on Mr. Boily,' Charest said. `He has his own
personality. Our campaign is very focused on the stakes in the Sept. 4
election, not on one or two people.'
On another matter, Charest reacted with sadness to news that several
gravestones in a Sherbrooke cemetery, including one belonging to his
uncle, were vandalized. Sherbrooke police Constable Martin Carrier
said seven gravestones at the St. Roch Cemetery in the Rock Forest
district of Sherbrooke were vandalized between Aug. 11 and 14. Graves
were knocked over, flowers were ripped and a cross was broken atop one
grave, Carrier said. `There is no indication it is linked to the
election because the damage was done to various graves, not just those
in the Charest family,' Carrier said.
Total damage was estimated at $15,000, Carrier added.
`This made me quite sad, Charest said. `I spoke with my family this
morning and we are seeing what the damage is and we'll repair it. I
understand (the vandals) put flowers on my grandfather's grave.'
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Charest+focuses+seniors/7122192/story.html
From: Baghdasarian
Aug 21 2012
Charest focuses on seniors: Pledges to keep elderly at home
By Max Harrold, The GazetteAugust 21, 2012
MONTREAL - Surrounded by a family in St. Henri that supports him, Jean
Charest talked about the love and caring only a family can give,
adding it is priceless but worth supporting with cash.
In one of his only outings to a family home so far this election
campaign, the Liberal leader, stuck in second in opinion polls, seemed
touched by the welcome he received Tuesday from three generations of
the Pogharian family.
Charest stood in the family's backyard in the St-Henri-Ste-Anne riding
to announce that if re-elected, the Liberals will nearly double the
tax deduction for seniors' caregivers, to $2,104 per year, during its
five-year mandate. This measure, to cost $56 million annually, would
help keep seniors at home and, when possible, living with their
families, he said.
`The love and companionship family and friends provide is
irreplaceable and you can't put a price on that,' Charest said. `We
can give people a hand and we are giving a hand, but these are things
in life that cannot be measured.'
There are an estimated 55,000 caregivers for seniors in the province,
according to the last provincial budget.
At Charest's side was the riding's MNA, Marguerite Blais, the minister
for seniors. Although Blais won the riding easily in 2008, recent
polls have her in a tough fight. A compilation of polls by
www.tooclosetocall.ca says Blais is trailing her PQ opponent by six
percentage points.
The Liberals also want to help what they call `inter-generational
households.' Charest said families that buy a home or renovate a home
to share with elderly relatives could qualify for an interest-free
loan of $10,000, repayable over 10 years. This would cost the
government $1.5 million in a five-year mandate. The homeowner or
renovator could be an elderly parent or an adult child.
`I like Mr. Charest,' said Pogharian, 52, an architect who built his
triplex. `My first connection with Mr. Charest was bumping into him
two or three years ago at a grocery store. I was with the kids. He
spent more time talking to the kids and telling them that if they have
any trouble with me they're to call him,' Pogharian recalled,
laughing. `He gave the kids his own personal cellphone number, but
they haven't shared it with me.'
Pogharian said having his 78-year-old mother live in one of the units
in his building is marvellous. `We've lived it and this helped us a
great deal,' Pogharian said.
`She taught the kids Armenian and the kids help her keep up with the
latest trends.'
Extra money in the form of a bigger tax credit is great, he said. `I
remember 15 or 16 years ago when we built this house our budget was so
tight that any little bit would have helped.'
Later, Charest downplayed a call by a long-time Liberal organizer in
Quebec City for Liberals to vote for the Coalition Avenir Québec.
Jean-Paul Boily, a party organizer and fundraiser for 30 years, told
98.5 FM radio Liberal candidates are lagging in several ridings and he
is backing the CAQ to avert a PQ majority government.
`I don't want to comment on Mr. Boily,' Charest said. `He has his own
personality. Our campaign is very focused on the stakes in the Sept. 4
election, not on one or two people.'
On another matter, Charest reacted with sadness to news that several
gravestones in a Sherbrooke cemetery, including one belonging to his
uncle, were vandalized. Sherbrooke police Constable Martin Carrier
said seven gravestones at the St. Roch Cemetery in the Rock Forest
district of Sherbrooke were vandalized between Aug. 11 and 14. Graves
were knocked over, flowers were ripped and a cross was broken atop one
grave, Carrier said. `There is no indication it is linked to the
election because the damage was done to various graves, not just those
in the Charest family,' Carrier said.
Total damage was estimated at $15,000, Carrier added.
`This made me quite sad, Charest said. `I spoke with my family this
morning and we are seeing what the damage is and we'll repair it. I
understand (the vandals) put flowers on my grandfather's grave.'
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Charest+focuses+seniors/7122192/story.html
From: Baghdasarian