"Old people rock." That's my new mantra. Three weeks ago - July 22 - I turned 70 and like the question posed on T-shirts worn by so many bewildered seniors, I wondered, "How the hell did I get this old?'
Well it happens, but it sure beats the alternative."
Pithy humour aside, if you're getting on in years, there's a lot to be said about our crowd. Grey power is real power, we have it, we use it and politicians of all stripes better get used to listening to what we have to say.
In a June column I noted a study completed by a major Canadian polling company following our May federal election. By way of background, every major Canadian pollster got caught with their stats down when they predicted a minority Conservative government.
As we know, Stephen Harper and the Conservatives formed a majority government leaving the pollsters with egg on their face as well as the need to identify the failed methodology that led them to predict a minority.
After some testing and a re-look at the polling data, one of the larger polling firms found two here-to-fore un-considered factors. First, many respondents who said they would vote Liberal or NDP did not vote, while Conservative supporters did. Second, those Conservatives not only voted, but in the majority were 45 years of age or older.
Stats Canada publishes a population pyramid; it shows those aged 45 make up the largest segment of Canadians. Pardon the image, but that age group is now commonly referred to as the pig going through the python. There is a declining population of Canadians over the age of 45 and more importantly fewer under the age of 45. Round off the sharp lines and the Canadian population pyramid looks more like a light bulb.
There are a number of messages here for those at all levels of government and they're significant.
First, older people vote and they are conservative voters. For my many NDP friends note the lower case 'c' in conservative. No one can claim our May election was a huge endorsement of Stephen Harper; rather he best represented the conservative mood of the country. Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff was unable to provide a focused message to his traditional base, while Jack Layton won support in Quebec thanks to his folksy way with Franco-phone voters.
Second, that conservative voting pattern is not going to change. Those of us aged 45 and older are concerned about our RRSPs, or our RRIFs and we want security. We want our governments to be good managers, encourage industry and show fiscal responsibility.
Looking at the recent U.S. economic fiasco it's clear we must limit our sovereign borrowing, stay with a fair but progressive tax regime and grow our economy from within.
This is easier said than done. With an aging and decreasing population we know our tax base is going to decline. As the years go by, there will be less high-income earning Canadians and more CPP-collecting geezers like me.
We have a bit of time, the pig is still moving through the python and that large gang of 45 year olds will continue to contribute to the Canadian economy for at least the next twenty years. But I do worry about my children and grandchildren.
How can the country manage a population decline yet still expect a continued high standard of living? There's only one way, leading up to 2031 and beyond, income producers will have to be smarter and healthier, while successive governments will need to be strategic.
Our human resource is the key. If we can't have a growing population, we need a smarter, more productive workforce. We'll have to replace quantity with quality. We must do all we can at all levels to improve our national intellect. That means more investment in research and K-to-post-graduate education.
Health policy must focus on prevention, healthy life styles and place the responsibility for containing health costs on those who use the system.
Immigration policy must be directed at attracting those who can contribute to our economy, as well as their own.
If all this sounds too conservative, well it is. It's also the way our country is heading and voting.
Bob Dylan - who is two months older than I am - wrote "The times they are a changing." That was in 1964 and the times did change. They still continue to change. Get used to it.
