Cecile Cassista, president of the New Brunswick Federation of Union Retirees, said  she was very active promoting seniors’ issues in the provincial election. A change from a Liberal to a Progressive Conservative provincial government has emphasized the need to lobby on behalf of seniors.

NBFUR is rebuilding with an interim working group on seniors’ issues with an annual meeting set for April.

Activists have campaigned successfully to stop seizure of seniors’ assets when they require home care but there is a need for legislated guarantees to make the policy permanent, Cassista said.

This is part of a campaign to allow people to “age in place” which means being able to live in their homes in the community with affordable services, she concluded. Cecile is heading up the CURC policy development in this area which will be highlighted in the 2011 CURC Convention.