E-Day Plus One September 24, 2021 Share Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Reddit Share on LinkedIn Email As the armchair political strategists and real political strategists expound on the morning-after media coverage of the 2021 Federal Election and the re-election of the Trudeau Government, let’s talk about some of the great work achieved by the Senior Liberals’ Commission. Seniors Knew the Platform In Ontario, Senior Liberals’ Commission Chair Sheila Bryan brought Senior Representatives from electoral district associations (EDAs) together on several Zoom meetings to talk about how SLC could assist in the election. She made sure that they had information on issues of interest to older Canadians, as well as on so-called senior issues. A useful part of that was clear messaging about the Liberal Government’s record on supporting seniors since 2015. Involving EDA Senior Reps in this way gives a strong way forward in defining their role and their importance to riding associations. SLC Sections across Canada, from Newfoundland and Nova Scotia to Alberta and British Columbia, built on SLC Ontario’s efforts. SLC Helped Shape the Platform The work done by SLC teams across the country during last year’s policy development process resulted in several resolutions prioritized during Convention 2021. In turn, the Platform included issues championed by our Commission, including reform of long-term care, affordable housing, and (from the Halifax policy convention) accessibility to family doctors. SLC Volunteered The Senior Liberals’ Commission is networked across the country. While many members are actively involved with their EDAs, SLC is able to reach into the community to organize volunteer time. This networking paid off with many new volunteers in the last weeks of the campaign. Senior Liberals had significant impact powering the phone banks to identify Liberal voters and get them out to vote. Many of these volunteers quickly adapted to the new technologies, which meant they could stay in their own homes and campaign. The virtual phone bank enabled Senior Liberals to participate safely, and gave them a stake in watching results from across the country and not just in their own region. Seniors underlined their significant role in LPC The number of Senior Liberal volunteers in this campaign played a significant role in the successful re-election of the Trudeau Government and demonstrated the value of SLC to the LPC organization (the Liberals are the only political party in Canada to have formed such a Commission). Senior Liberals were quick to respond to calls for help. The volunteers were experienced, informed, organized and hard working. They did us proud! A few decades ago, a Liberal politician said, ’The Liberal Party organization is dependent on the blue-rinse ladies. Without them we couldn’t win elections.’ Much has changed since then. Older Canadians are no longer our grandparents’ ‘blue-rinse ladies’, or the equivalent for gents. We are a diverse organization, in all senses of that phrase. We are a growing proportion of the population. And we are committed. We take pride in our work and our support of the re-election of the Trudeau government. Well done, Senior Liberals’ Commission. Now back to work.