On Friday long time autism champion and Charlottetown MP Shawn Murphy questioned federal Conservative Health Minister, Leona Aglukkaq, below left, on the Harper government's failure to honor its commitment to convene a meeting of the provincial health ministers with the objective of developing a national strategy on the treatment and support of Canadians with autism. 
Instead of directly answering the question Health Minister Aglukkaq dissembled and did not acknowledge either the commitment to convene a meeting of Canada's health ministers to develop a national autism strategy or the Harper government's failure to honor that commitment.It is time that politicians like Stephen Harper and Leona Aglukkaq started earning the designation "Honourable" that comes with their positions and start honoring their commitment to autistic Canadians and their families to convene a meeting of provincial health ministers and develop a real national autism strategy to provide for treatment and support for autistic Canadian children and adults.
Please Prime Minister Harper, and Health Minister Aglukkaq, honor your commitment to autistic Canadians and their families.
Please Prime Minister Harper, and Health Minister Aglukkaq, honor your commitment to autistic Canadians and their families.
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Health
40th PARLIAMENT, 2nd SESSION
EDITED HANSARD • NUMBER 020
Friday, February 27, 2009Health
Hon. Shawn Murphy (Charlottetown, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, on December 5, 2006, every member of the House, including the Prime Minister, supported Motion No. 172. The motion directed the minister of health to convene a meeting of the provincial health ministers with the objective of developing a national strategy on the treatment and support of Canadians with autism. Unfortunately, the previous minister of health and the present Minister of Health have totally ignored this motion.
My question is for the present Minister of Health. This is a very important question and Canadians are looking for an answer. How long does the government intend to ignore Canadian families dealing with autism?
Hon. Leona Aglukkaq (Minister of Health, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, I recognize that autism is an important health and social issue that represents challenges to many Canadian families. I can assure the House that the government is showing leadership by focusing attention on building the autism evidence base that future actions by our partners will be well informed.
We are delivering results. In 2007 we announced the funding for a chair of autism research and innovation at Simon Fraser University and, over the last seven years, more than $27 million have been spent on related research by CIHR.
autism
5 comments:
As a parent with two boys with Autism I was rudely awakened by the total lack of concern by the government some time ago. Once you accept that they simply don't care and in fact they really don't care about much besides big business (supplying California with power from our natural resources, etc) it is easier to stop voting and spend more time with my kids.
This is not just a common run-of-the-mill situation, this is a National Crisis.We are not only dealing with an "epidemic" in children with autism.There is:
-the "epidemic" of people who consider autism as a disease.
-the "epidemic" of the frightening statistical numbers rising each year.
_the "epidemic" of some government officials who stand by and do nothing to support or help the families financially.
-the "epidemic" of officials who say no one with autism can recover or be helped.
The parents need not give up.A unified voice on this national crisis,will help battle the indifference by many officials in the higher ranks.Grassroots organizations can help build momentum. The bureaucratic 'long tape' on getting a child assessed and treated for autism is an all too familiar reality.
Current patchwork of provincial programs are uanacceptable.Parents today are educating,and empowering themselves with the 'arms to better defeat their child's autism. We have made some positive strides towards defeating autism but still have a ways to go.
Ignorance of 'some' is not the bliss of 'others'.
It's time to move forward in the name of AUTISM.
Lies, lies, and more political lies. Then again, were we expecting anything different? Just like the journalists who hide behind their computers 'thinking' whether or not they can write the truth as it is about autism, they hide and forget that journalists should be reporting the truth and not some fabricated one-sided truth as they are told.
I think it's about time we all stood up and wrote to our heads who govern our country and tell them exactly what should be done. I think they need guidance.
Why do our current governments seem to fear and hate autistic children?
Every time the parents of these kids seek help/remedy the courts ignore the obvious.
These are children, no matter what form the help is we should be giving it to them. All of them.
ABA/IBI is the only proven help even though the ministry of health's act ignores it.
I realize you can only use the rule of law and I respect that.
I wish all levels of our society served the rule of law instead of their masters.
We seem to forget that these are children and they need all of our help.
The saying "It takes a village to raise a child" rings clear here.
Sometimes just simply doing the right thing is what is important.
I am certain that the Upper Canada Law Society and it’s national membership, have far more compassion and understanding than this.
If not, and it’s only about money, than it is truly a dark day for Canada, it’s bureaucrats, politicians and their national Law Society.
How do I explain to my child that his Government is spending billions in a war on foreign soil and there is no funding for his education and thousands of Canadian child citizens are on the shameful nationwide waitlists?
Ahh the waitlists yes the elephant in the room throwing feces. We all know about the waitlists. They are horrible, no denying it. Now
imagine the nightmare existence some families are living with 24 hrs a day
I have yet to hear of any multinational corporation that has embraced Spectrum differences as a charitable trust.
This simply defies logic on any rational level.
How can any elected M.P. use the prefix Right Honourable with our rudderless Autism strategy in tatters and a war built and sold on lies.
Dead and wounded soldiers sick and untreated children, it’s quite an image of our once honourable nation, Canada
Feels like the Devil’s work.
i agree with dad. i think that the government is not doing enough to help children to deal with autism. i hope the government will look at this issue.
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