This is the hugely challenging question in this current environment. I'd say to you that the reason our community celebrates the convention is that it was supported by all governments. The federal government and all provincial and territorial governments have said this is the vision for people with disabilities. This is where we go. Our community, frankly, doesn't care who provides the service, but we want the service, and we are very tired of having to try to line up 13 jurisdictions to find a way to move forward and advance the social agenda in this country.
We are very tired of hearing from our community that you now shop around by province according to the type of service you need. If you need good technical aids, go to Ontario. If you need a good income support program, go to Alberta. If you need good home care, go to Manitoba. If you need good services outside major urban centres, go to Quebec. If you need a much more accessible environment, go to B.C.
People are now starting to shop around because there is no coordination. There is no federal-provincial discussion on social policy in this country at the present time, and frankly, this cannot do us any good. If you leave the jurisdictions alone, you leave people in isolation and having to depend upon what exists in Brandon, Manitoba, versus what exists in Kingston, Ontario. We have students who can't travel from one university in one province to another university and get the same level of service. To us, this just does not sound like the Canada we believe should exist.
So I would say to you as a committee, and I say to you as parliamentarians of all parties, disability should be a non-partisan issue, and disability should be an issue that all governments are engaged in. For disability issues to be advanced, there has to be collaboration. If there are silos and isolation, do not expect that we won't be here ten years from now--not me but somebody else--telling you the same thing again.