Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the NDP motion calling for development of a comprehensive program for disabled Canadians. It recommends accomplishing this by acting on unanimous recommendations of the Subcommittee on the Status of Persons with Disabilities, in particular, the withdrawal of the proposed changes to the disability tax credit.
The disability tax credit was established during the second world war to recognize the fact that individuals with severe and prolonged impairments often faced additional, non-discretionary expenses for basic living that reduced their ability to pay tax.
It has quite a history. Prior to 1996, Canadians applying for the disability tax credit went through an assessment process administered by their physicians but very few were subjected to a post-assessment review. However, after 1996 the CCRA began to review claims before it assessed individual returns to determine whether the applicant was eligible. Once approved, however, those Canadians who were approved believed they could count on receiving the credit as long as their circumstances did not change.
That was not the case and we have seen a hue and cry across the land. I do not think there is a member in the House who has not had contact with constituents complaining about it, because in 2001 a full review of the disability tax credit was begun, with a poorly worded and confusing letter and form sent out in October to all 106,000 recipients requesting them to re-certify because CCRA did not have enough information to continue allowing claims for 2001 and future tax years. This request caused a lot of upset in all communities. My constituency office was certainly bombarded by people who were cut off as a result of that. I know that many MPs from across party lines heard the same stories: people with disabilities who had been qualifying had to re-certify and no longer qualified.
The member for Blackstrap related a story. I have a constituent with a somewhat similar story, one of the many who contacted me. The man is working in the oil patch. He lost a leg somewhere along the way in his life. He was receiving the disability tax credit. He has a prosthesis and he had to have his vehicle fitted so that he could move around and work from site to site. Of course when the form came through, the question the doctor had to ask as a result of the revenue agency's request was whether the man could walk 50 metres unaided. This is a proud person, a man trying to earn his living even though he has a severe disability. He said of course he could. All of a sudden he lost his disability tax credit.
He contacted me and asked what the government was trying to do, whether it wanted him to go on welfare and claim money from the government for that. He said he wanted to have a job. I know this individual. He is going to work no matter what happens. But why is there this meanspirited attitude of cutting off people who have qualified for a very long time?
In fact, when I was in Toronto last week at the prebudget hearings, a group from the MS society talked about another aspect of the disability tax credit. My colleague from Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre referred to it earlier. The question is whether people can function for a certain percentage of time. As we know, people with MS are not always in a condition of being debilitated. They actually have some times in their lives when they can perform quite well. They never know when that is going to be, but now they are cut off as well because the government seems to be shaking the tree and trying to get every cent possible from Canadian taxpayers. And to do what? To waste it on agencies, on advertising, or on not advertising, on not even having the advertising contracts, on Groupaction and Shawinigan. We have seen the HRDC scandal as well.
What is it trying to do? Is it trying to take advantage of those who have the biggest problem making a living in society, to take that measly disability tax credit away from them and waste it on all kinds of government programs that go out the door? In fact, the Prime Minister, when he was questioned about the Groupaction advertising contracts, said that we lost a few hundred million but it was worth it because we saved Quebec. Really, what a silly attitude and answer.
Here we are, having a problem with disabled Canadians who are trying to make a living. As my colleague said earlier, they are not asking for money from the government. They are just saying that in recognition of the fact they have a disability that costs them a certain amount of money they should be able to get a tax credit, or in other words, a refund of some of the taxes they have already paid.
That is part of the problem. The priorities of the government are all wrong. In response to the complaints that were coming in, the Subcommittee on the Status of Persons with Disabilities held hearings last winter and issued a report on the issues related to the tax credit. My colleague was a member of the subcommittee. The unanimous report criticized the CCRA for “practices that are grossly inadequate for persons with disabilities” and called for a complete overhaul of the program. That was an all party committee of the House, including people from the government side.
In fact, when I was in the prebudget consultation meetings this spring, we raised it with the Minister of National Revenue and alerted her to the problem. It was like water off a duck's back. She did not seem to be the least bit concerned.
Instead of responding to the report, what has the government done? It has forged ahead on further restrictions to the eligibility requirements. This time it is the Department of Finance. In response to losing a court case, it has proposed amendments that would severely restrict the interpretation of feeding and dressing oneself. Those amendments were drafted without consulting the government's own subcommittee on the disabled community. It did not hold consultations with the disabled community about this issue at all. It just forged ahead, full steam ahead. To what end? To shake out a few measly dollars from these disabled people so that it can waste them in all kinds of other areas.
I think it is despicable. The Liberal members should give their heads a shake, look in the mirror and see what they are doing to Canadian society. Those who are the most vulnerable are the ones being taken advantage of. We think something needs to be done to turn this around. That is why we support today's NDP motion to have a complete review of this whole process.