That this National Executive Council appoint Miss Gertrude Beattie and Sister Constance SSJD, as official representatives of the Anglican Church of Canada on the CIRG, until General Synod 1977, and that from time to time they report to the Program Committee. CARRIED
The first development grant to be made in Canada to a citizens' action committee by the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund of the Anglican Church of Canada has gone to an organization called: "Pensioners Concerned."
The grant of five thousand dollars was presented on June 16th by Most Rev. Howard H. Clark, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada to the founders of Pensioners Concerned, Mrs. Corabel Penfold of Toronto and Mr. Reginald Watson of Weston, Ontario.
The organization, formed in 1969, is designed to spark interest across Canada on the part of all retirees to approach the three levels of government to at least partially restore the purchasing power of the retiree's income that has been eroded by inflation.
The Federal Government is being asked to raise the exemption for retirees to three thousand for single persons and 45 hundred dollars for those retirees who are married. For those earning less than those amounts, the government will be asked to provide a form of negative income tax.
In the Provincial-Municipal field, the organization wants retirees who own their homes or are renting to be excused from the education tax. Health services for those in the three thousand and 45 hundred dollar category would be provided free.
The five thousand dollars provided by the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund will enable Mrs. Penfold and Mr. Watson to travel to various centres across Canada, beginning in September to recruit retirees into Social Action groups to make their case known to the levels of government.