Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the many Canadians suffering from lupus. Lupus is an auto-immune disease which attacks the body's healthy cells. All parts of the body, including major organs, can be involved. While lupus knows no age or gender barriers, it is more prevalent among women in their child bearing years.
An insidious chronic ailment, lupus is characterized by unpredictable flare-ups of acute disease activity causing pain, inflammation of body tissues and organs.
Its erratic nature brings with it emotional turmoil and economic loss.
To date there is no cure for lupus. Though medication provides some measure of control, its efficacy varies in each case and is not without long range debilitating side effects.
Given the physical and economic consequences of lupus, persons severely afflicted by this disease who have a prolonged functional impairment and who have been assessed as disabled by qualified physicians call on this government to allow eligibility for disability tax credits without further investigation by Revenue Canada.