OP-ED: Manipulating vulnerable seniors is the Liberals’ last-ditch re-election ploy

Sue-Ann Levy writes: "Candidates have taken their road show to seniors homes, where they are gaslighting them about how they could lose their precious savings under a Conservative government."

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Author: Sue-Ann Levy

During the recent U.S. election, a grassroots Conservative organization called Turning Point Action was heavily involved in mobilizing disengaged voters to elect those candidates committed to saving America.

During the 2024 campaign, they engaged thousands – called ballot-chasers – to track and chase key target ballots in the battleground states. Evidently, it worked to a certain extent as U.S. President Donald Trump won all of the key battleground states.

But in the current federal election, it seems Liberals are using the principle for far more nefarious purposes.

In the past week candidates – particularly those in the GTA – have taken their road show to seniors homes, where they are gaslighting them about how they could lose their precious savings under a Conservative government and because of Trump’s tariffs.

Evan Solomon, parachuted into Toronto Centre from working in New York, has been particularly egregious with his fearmongering.

He’s been visiting half-demented seniors warning that only the Liberals can save their precious retirement funds during these uncertain times as if Trump and the Conservatives will take away their federally funded pension payments.

Of course, Solomon was fired from CBC in 2015 for selling $300K worth of art to some of his interview contacts including Mark Carney. So it’s a stretch to trust him. But hey these oldsters would never remember that if they even knew of his checkered past.

Leslie Church, who is running for the Liberals in my riding of St. Paul’s, did her own shameless gaslighting while visiting a seniors’ home last week. From the looks of the picture, not many were paying attention to her while they played cards Nevertheless she brought up the tariffs when none have been put in place.

I would venture to guess most of the seniors in this room are well positioned to ride out the stock market.

Bill Blair, who doesn’t even live in the Scarborough riding he represents (he lives in St. Paul’s), was engaged in his own gaslighting at two seniors homes last week.

As was Ottawa-area candidate Mona Fortier.

There is nothing wrong with visiting seniors' homes during an election campaign. When I ran for the Ontario PCs in 2009 I turned up at several. But I certainly didn’t try to frighten vulnerable seniors into thinking my opponent would cut them off from the retirement benefits that they’d worked for all their lives.

I’ve spent a considerable amount of time in senior facilities in the last few years, first with my dad who had Alzheimer’s and now with my mom suffering from Lewy Body dementia.

I see how fragile and lonely some of the residents are and how desperate they are for attention. To prey on them like this is so wrong and so evil!

This is just chasing for votes by gaslighting them into thinking Liberals are the saviours.

In fact, the Liberals under Justin Trudeau screwed up our economy over the past nine years and sent our dollar into the toilet.

Do any of these Liberal candidates even have a conscience?

This is certainly more evidence that they do not.