House of Commons Hansard #27 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was disabled.

Topics

Question No. 25Routine Proceedings

10:15 a.m.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Bakopanos)

The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Question No. 25Routine Proceedings

10:15 a.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

(Motion agreed to)

SupplyGovernment Orders

10:15 a.m.

NDP

Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS

moved:

That this House call upon the government to develop a comprehensive program to level the playing field for Canadians with disabilities, by acting on the unanimous recommendations of the committee report “Getting It Right for Canadians: the Disability Tax Credit”; in particular the recommendations calling for changes to the eligibility requirements of the Disability Tax Credit so that they will incorporate in a more humane and compassionate manner the real life circumstances of persons with disabilities, and withdraw the proposed changes to the Disability Tax Credit, released on August 30th, 2002.

Madam Speaker, I am very pleased today, on the occasion of the NDP official opposition day, to introduce the motion that is before us. Let me say at the outset that I will be splitting my time with the member for Dartmouth, who serves very capably and energetically as the critic for persons with disabilities.

Second, I want to say at the outset that I intend to propose a very minor amendment to the motion we have introduced today. We do so because we are very anxious today, as we indicated in advance, to be able to come to an agreement in the House to cooperate as all parties, all members of Parliament, to end the harassment of disabled persons that has been taking place over the last many months since finance officials introduced proposed changes to the disabilities tax credit.

I want to use the few minutes available to me to explain why the New Democratic Party has introduced the motion that is before us. Let me say that the backdrop for this resolution is the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons, adopted in 1975. I think that it is very important to keep this in mind as we consider what it is we can do and what it is we must do to begin to live up to the spirit of that international declaration of rights of the disabled.

I will quote briefly from the declaration, which states:

Disabled persons have the inherent right to respect for their human dignity. Disabled persons, whatever the origin, nature and seriousness of their handicaps and disabilities, have the same fundamental rights as their fellow-citizens of the same age, which implies first and foremost the right to enjoy a decent life, as normal and full as possible.

For almost two decades, and I think there would be a consensus on that, there has been some improvement, incremental, not sufficient and not dramatic enough, but some incremental improvement both in terms of protecting the rights of the disabled and moving to put into place various supports that would make that stated vision of enabling and supporting disabled persons to live “a decent life, as normal and full as possible” become something more of a reality.

It has been suggested that we now have lived through a decade of disappointment, really a decade of backsliding from progress made. Let us talk about Canada. In 1996, there was a very good parliamentary report from a task force on persons living with disabilities. Many important recommendations were put forward. Sadly, six years later, one has to lament the fact that only 20% of the recommendations of that task force have actually been acted upon by the government. Instead, what we are working together to try to reverse, which is the purpose of the motion, is the introduction of draconian changes in the last year that literally have resulted in the harassment of disabled persons living with disabilities in this country.

What is that source of harassment? It is the changes that have been proposed to the disability tax credit. Unbelievably, some 106,000 Canadians recently received notification that they would not continue to receive that disability tax credit. Let me make it clear that this is a modest income supplement to disabled persons living with disabilities, intended to assist them with the costs of and the barriers to living that full life that we intend for them, a small supplement to assist them with the extra costs and burdens of living with disabilities. It is a maximum of $960 in a year, but in many cases is far less than that, and of course spread over 365 days of the year, we are talking about a tiny sum of money.

One hundred and six thousand Canadians were notified that they would no longer be receiving that benefit unless they re-qualify. Some people would ask what is wrong with that. What is wrong with that is that we are talking in many cases about people who are severely mobility impaired, dealing with severe illnesses or dealing with very major disabilities. In some cases we are talking about people who bear the burden of being forced to go to a doctor to have a further examination, for heaven's sake, to demonstrate that they have not grown back the limbs that were amputated which resulted in their receiving the disability tax credit in the first place or have not regained the eyesight from the state of blindness that qualified them for the disability tax credit. There are many other similar absurdities.

These people are being required to go to doctors. In some cases the government will not pay for the examination required or pay the doctors for the work involved in this. We know we have an overloaded health care system. What is the government doing? It is making the most vulnerable segment of Canadian society go through hoops to re-qualify for a tax credit which, in the first place, is meagre compared to what the need is for those disabled persons to maximize their opportunities in life.

Today we have introduced a motion that we invite every member of Parliament, and that means from all parties on the government side and the opposition side as well, to take the opportunity to say very clearly that the government must make a commitment that the proposed changes to the disability tax credit that were introduced some months ago will in fact be withdrawn and that improvements will be introduced to the disability tax credit.

In 1996 when that parliamentary task force reported it talked about how there was an enormous gap between the saying and the doing when it comes to support for disabled persons. Today members of Parliament have an opportunity to demonstrate that there is not a gap between what they have been saying and what we are doing as a federal government to support disabled persons. If people are serious about supporting persons living with disabilities, at the very least the government should be prepared to withdraw these proposed changes and follow through on the unanimous recommendations of the subcommittee working on issues affecting disabled persons.

In the moment or two remaining I want to go quickly to the very small amendment that I am suggesting. I want to make it very clear that this has been achieved because of collaboration back and forth with the government bench to try to come to a consensus that will allow all members to speak with one voice in support of the motion that the NDP has put on the floor today and that will be voted upon in the House.

The wording of the motion has already been read into the record but I want to refer to the latter part of that motion. Let me read the proposed amendment in context.

--in particular the recommendations calling for changes to the eligibility requirements of the Disability Tax Credit so that they will incorporate in a more humane and compassionate manner the real life circumstances of persons with disabilities--

The amendment to that would read “and withdraw the changes to the Disability Tax Credit proposed on August 30, 2002 by finance officials”.

The reason for proposing that amendment is that we are very eager for persons with disabilities to understand that Parliament stands together in recognizing that they need not be harassed by bureaucratic changes that have been put into the pipeline, but rather deserve the support of the House and the government for improvements to the disability tax credit, ones that recognize that unless it is to be simply empty rhetoric we have to put our money where our mouth is. We have to do less talking and more doing to support persons living with disabilities.

SupplyGovernment Orders

10:25 a.m.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Bakopanos)

Is the hon. member proposing an amendment to her own motion?

SupplyGovernment Orders

10:25 a.m.

NDP

Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS

Yes, Madam Speaker, I am.

SupplyGovernment Orders

10:25 a.m.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Bakopanos)

Unfortunately the member needs the unanimous consent of the House to move an amendment to her own motion or allow the second speaker to move the amendment.

Are you asking for the unanimous consent of the House?

SupplyGovernment Orders

10:25 a.m.

NDP

Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS

Madam Speaker, I do ask for unanimous consent in the very spirit of our trying to achieve a unanimous position in support of this. It is based on collaboration that has taken place with the government benches and reflecting the kind of words that have been expressed in the debate over the last many months to try to reverse this wrong.

SupplyGovernment Orders

10:25 a.m.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Bakopanos)

Is there unanimous consent of the House to allow the mover of the motion to make an amendment to her motion?

SupplyGovernment Orders

10:25 a.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

SupplyGovernment Orders

10:25 a.m.

Some hon. members

No.

SupplyGovernment Orders

10:25 a.m.

Liberal

Dennis Mills Liberal Toronto—Danforth, ON

Madam Speaker, I stand here today and celebrate the initiative by the leader of the New Democratic Party to bring this issue to the floor of the House of Commons. I have always believed that the primary purpose of the Chamber was to speak for those who did not have a voice and who were in the most difficult moment of their lives.

I believe that what has happened over this screw-up in revenue and finance has been one of the most despicable things I have ever experienced in my 20 years on Parliament Hill. If ever there ever were a moment for the entire Chamber to come together and create a consensus to fix this immediately it would be on this motion. I will do my part, with my colleagues on this side of the House, to work with the NDP to have this corrected.

SupplyGovernment Orders

10:25 a.m.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Bakopanos)

I would caution the hon. member for Toronto--Danforth on the use of certain unparliamentary language.

SupplyGovernment Orders

10:25 a.m.

NDP

Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS

Madam Speaker, I do not want to comment on the language but I do want to comment on the sentiment. It does express the point of view that is shared by the vast majority of Canadians who have come to understand what is wrong with the initiative that has been taken here. We have been trying to find a way to work together to undo this injustice. I welcome the support and comments from the member for Toronto--Danforth.

Not only have 106,000 Canadians received the harassing letter that we talked about but more than 30,000 Canadians have already lost the disability tax credit. We should keep in mind that disabled Canadians are living, in the main, in poverty conditions to begin with. Forty per cent of disabled persons are unemployed. Unemployed is defined as seeking work, wanting work but not able to find work, in part because they do not have the kind of support that this small supplement would give them to overcome the barriers, the added burdens and the costs of their disability to allow them to take advantage of opportunities in the workforce.

It is very welcomed to hear at least one member on the government benches enter into the spirit that was intended with the resolution that we introduced today, which is to speak with one loud, clear voice in support of persons living with disabilities.

SupplyGovernment Orders

10:25 a.m.

Progressive Conservative

Loyola Hearn Progressive Conservative St. John's West, NL

Madam Speaker, I congratulate the member. I also want to tell her that our party will support her solidly on this motion. It is a stand that we should all take collectively, as the member opposite just said, for people who cannot be here to stand up for themselves. Unfortunately many people cannot even stand. We hear of a number of people being told that if they can walk 150 feet they will not get a disability tax credit. One of my friends told me that if someone would put on his shoes he probably could walk 150 miles with his crutches.

It is extremely hard to believe that we would try to take back from deserving people a minuscule amount that is so helpful to them but so little in relation to a budget, especially a budget that is administered by a department that brags about having an almost $40 billion surplus. It is unbelievable. That surplus is being built up on the backs of such people who have worked so hard to make a living so they can pay taxes at extreme expense to themselves, above and beyond what the rest of us face. With the little break that they get we are trying to withdraw it.

It is terrible that the government would even think about such a thing. I congratulate the member again. I hope that the whole House will stand behind her in an effort to get the department to wake up and treat people the way they should be treated.

SupplyGovernment Orders

10:30 a.m.

NDP

Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the offer of support by the member from Newfoundland and Labrador and to take the opportunity to say that at least Nova Scotia members, at least those on the NDP benches, and I hope all other parties, are very proud that last week the Nova Scotia house of assembly unanimously passed a motion in support of the position we are advocating on the floor today. It was an all-party support.

In Newfoundland today a private member's motion will be introduced to the same effect. I hope the member and others will encourage their provincial counterparts in the Newfoundland and Labrador assembly to give the same kind of unanimous support that was given in Nova Scotia last week and that we are seeking today from members of the House of Commons on all sides.

SupplyGovernment Orders

10:30 a.m.

NDP

Wendy Lill NDP Dartmouth, NS

Madam Speaker, I wish to thank the member for Halifax and the leader of the NDP for her passionate words on the subject of persons with disabilities.

As the NDP critic for persons with disabilities I welcome the opportunity to take part in this important debate. I will start with a brief summary of what brings us here today to discuss the disability tax credit. I will keep the discussion simple.

In September 2001 CCRA sent letters to over 100,000 persons with disabilities, asking them to reapply for their meagre disability tax credit, claiming the need for an administrative review, always cognizant of the need to be good stewards of the public purse. The cost of reapplying for the credit is between $25 and $150. Doctors must refill forms, there are challenges for many with physical disabilities of getting anywhere near a doctor, and the Catch-22 nature of the newest revisions of the DTC forms make it next to impossible for doctors to fill it out accurately. All of these factors led to many people not even reapplying and many others being turned down.

Out of this valiant exercise in the public interest the CCRA was able to separate over 30,000 Canadians with disabilities from their benefits. That might add up to about $55 million. However, this does not appear to be nearly enough.

On August 30, 2002, the finance department released draft amendments to the Income Tax Act to further restrict the number of people considered disabled and, therefore, eligible to receive the credit. The proposed amendment would tighten the rules in the Income Tax Act governing whether disabled persons were capable of feeding or dressing themselves, again an important means by which the ever diligent CCRA would guard taxpayers from unworthy cheats and frauds within the disability community.

This is ironic given that today of all days we are hearing in the media stories about massive GST tax frauds. Hundreds of millions of dollars in tax frauds were involved in fake exports and car flipping without the CCRA and the federal government being able to lift a finger. I guess this is all the more reason to further shake down persons with disabilities for whatever the government can get.

In our motion we are calling for the need to change the eligibility requirements to the disability tax credit so that they incorporate a more humane and compassionate manner, the real life circumstances of persons with disabilities and the thousands of caregivers who help carry the load both emotionally and financially. I would like to take a moment to look at that real life circumstance that people are facing.

Gail lives in Halifax and is retired from teaching since the onset of multiple sclerosis. She lives on a small teacher's pension. She uses a wheelchair and lives with crippling pain. She has a small fixed income and watches every penny. She cannot afford to drink coffee or read newspapers. She cannot afford to go out. The federal government is reviewing her disability tax credit. How would losing the $500 credit affect her? Members can guess and I already have an answer to that.

A father in Regina who is emotionally and financially supporting three adult sons with schizophrenia is having the disability tax credit he receives reviewed. The credit helps to offset the cost of transporting his sons to hospitals and clinics. There are costs for parking, prescription and non-prescription drugs, housekeeping, personal care and counsellors.

He has looked at the newest DTC form and he sees no point in reapplying. He believes the new form is unjustly targeting persons with mental illness such as his sons. He says that to qualify under these new definitions one would have to be a physical vegetable, so why even bother.

Norman is 52 years old. He has Down's syndrome and diabetes and lives with his adult sister, Karen. He is having his disability tax credit reviewed. His sister and her partner have had many modifications made to their lives to allow Norman to be a part of it, including a reduction in income. They do not want it any other way, but having Norman live with them involves costs for special meal preparations, special transportation, and personal care. Their day-to-day lives cost more than ours. Norman's sister Karen has looked at the even more restrictive criteria presented by the finance department and throws up her hand. Of course Norman can dress himself and feed himself she said, but what does that really mean? Norman still requires someone to care for him 24 hours a day.

Sandra is from Sydney who cares for her 22 year old son with cerebral palsy. He uses a wheelchair; he needs a great deal of help to dress and eat. Sandra fights for proper seating and lifts for transporting her son. She pays for special boots and adaptive eating devices and now is being told her son may no longer be eligible for the disability tax credit under the new regulations.

These are only four cases of people and families living with disabilities in our country. Four of over 100,000 who have been asked to reapply for this small tax credit. They are ordinary Canadians who are managing, who are loving and caring for one another, despite all of the crap being thrown their way.

Now, we are seeing the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency shaking these people down because they are easy targets, too tired, too vulnerable, and too poor to hire lawyers to fight back. All of this is supposedly being done in the so-called public interest.

It is not in my interest or the interest of anyone that I know. I heard a catchy tune at a wedding that I attended with the refrain about how we must look below the surface, because “everybody's got a story that can break your heart”. Sometimes when I hear what people are having to endure, it does just about break my heart. However, that is not what this is all about.

Canadians with disabilities do not want to break anyone's heart, they just want a break. They are not looking for tears or pity; they are looking for dignity and respect, and a reasonable degree of assistance. That is why New Democrats in the House today are asking the federal government to stop targeting and fleecing people who are working flat out to survive. The government should pick on someone its own size.

In October last year when the CCRA asked to review over 100,000 claims to the credit, the subcommittee of parliamentarians charged with overseeing disability issues held a series of round tables to determine the impact of the CCRA's actions. We were all, bar none, stunned by the deep and calamitous response from all we heard from and we were ashamed.

Our investigations found that the inadequate income support and rehabilitation programs left one-third of Canadians with severe disabilities living in poverty. At least 40% of Canadians with disabilities were unemployed. Federal downloading and the elimination of the Canadian assistance plan left Canadians with disabilities poor and more vulnerable than ever. Without exception, we heard that the DTC in its present form needed to be revamped, improved, humanized and sensitized to reflect the many silent and significant costs involved in living with a disability.

We recommended in our final unanimous all party report to the finance minister that the time had come to make some much needed changes in definitions around disabilities for the purposes of the Income Tax Act. In tone and in spirit we called on the government to respect the successive judgments of the federal court rulings calling on parliament to give disabled persons a measure of relief from the increased difficulties under which their impairment forced them to live, by affording them humane and compassionate treatment under the law--no more, no less.

Our report was tabled March 2002 and we waited, and hundreds of thousands of Canadians with disabilities waited, for the response from the government. In June the NDP held up the business of the House to force the government to speed up its response and to encourage a positive response.

I would like to say that democracy and the consultative process won the day in this instance, but sadly, that was not the case. Instead of humanizing the disability tax credits, the department proposed changes that would make it even more difficult to qualify for the disability tax credit.

I started my speech by talking about individuals living with disabilities and I will return to them in closing. I urge all parliamentarians to create a society which truly supports, values and treats Canadians with disabilities as true citizens. The teacher with MS, the sons with mental illness, the brother with Down's syndrome or cerebral palsy are our neighbours, parents, children and someday quite possibly they will be us.

It is time our government, on behalf of us all, began to treat persons with disabilities fairly and humanely. We have a chance to start today with a strong message to the finance department about the disability tax credit. This is what is truly in the public interest and for the future well-being of our country and citizens.

SupplyGovernment Orders

10:40 a.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

Madam Speaker, it is ironic that the member for Winnipeg Centre tried to bring a motion before the House of Commons asking the government to change a ruling regarding companies that get fined but are able to deduct the fine from their income tax. For example, a company was fined $250,000 and received $125,000 in tax rebates. When the member for Winnipeg Centre brought the issue before the House, the government said it was not parliamentary and he could not do it.

Disabled people have been able to deduct a little money from income tax to help them to see a doctor, to do this and that, and buy equipment. For example, one member in my riding had his legs cut off. He has been receiving income tax rebates for the last 12 years. For the information of all hon. members, his legs did not grow back, but his disability tax credit was cut.

Is it not ironic to see the government beating up people who lose their jobs? It has a $40 billion surplus in employment insurance. It is now attacking disabled people instead of going after those big corporations who have a right to a rebate on income tax if they get fined by the government. It is totally unbelievable and unacceptable. I would like to hear a comment on that from the member for Dartmouth.

SupplyGovernment Orders

10:40 a.m.

NDP

Wendy Lill NDP Dartmouth, NS

Madam Speaker, there is an expression, “Go hunting where the ducks are”.

Aside from the exposé today about the multi-million dollar tax frauds that we have heard regarding the GST, car flipping and input tax credits, Canada Customs and Revenue Agency has admitted in its annual performance report of last week that it has been unable to collect over $16 billion in outstanding taxes last year. Yet here we are today trying to defend the slim and vastly inadequate tax credit of our most vulnerable citizens.

I find it stunning. I know all members on all sides of the House feel the same way. We must keep in perspective the people who are being affected here, the hundreds of thousands of persons who are vulnerable and who are incurring additional costs because of their disabilities. Yet they are not able to get what is truly a small but important tax credit to offset their additional disability costs.

SupplyGovernment Orders

10:45 a.m.

NDP

Bev Desjarlais NDP Churchill, MB

Madam Speaker, over the past number of months when questions came up in the House about the disability tax credit, the government would often respond by saying that if those people were really disabled, their cases would be reviewed and they would get their money. I have a letter that was sent to the minister by some constituents of mine. I would like to read it to give hon. members, including my colleague from Dartmouth, the impact that those types of attitudes have on the disabled:

I have had a recent experience regarding how Canada Customs and Revenue Agency treat the disabled.

My mother was removed from the rolls of the disabled for a period of six months. While her exclusion was eventually overturned, I got to endure such comments as: “We are targeting seniors. We will get to them all eventually”. When I spuriously suggested that the great physicist, Stephen Hawking, would not qualify as disabled, one of your bureaucrats had the audacity to agree. Seniors and disabled persons are easy targets and many have neither the will, energy nor support to fight back.

While ultimately vindicated I feel the stress and anguish contributed to the subsequent hospitalization from which my mother has recently recovered.

It is not okay to treat the disabled like this. It is not okay to have them go through an appeal process with Revenue Canada when there are numerous criminals out there who are trying to escape from paying their taxes. These people just want a little bit of a break. The government is willing to give breaks to corporations for boxes at baseball games and for corporate executive wives to buy $1,000 gowns, but the disabled do not get a break for a mere pittance of a tax credit. It is absolutely shameful. I would like my colleague to comment on that.

SupplyGovernment Orders

10:45 a.m.

NDP

Wendy Lill NDP Dartmouth, NS

Madam Speaker, I agree completely with my colleague from Churchill.

With regard to the whole issue around appealing these situations, it is important for people in the House to realize that many people, even though they are very much disadvantaged, have taken the government to court over the loss of their disability tax credits and they have won. The Federal Court of Canada in several cases has recently awarded on behalf of persons with disabilities and not the federal government. We have to keep that very central to our debate today.

SupplyGovernment Orders

10:45 a.m.

Oak Ridges Ontario

Liberal

Bryon Wilfert LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance

Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the hon. member for Laval West.

I am pleased to address the motion put forth by the hon. member for Halifax.

An inclusive society is at the heart of Canadian values. This is why the government has taken action on a number of fronts to strengthen and support persons with disabilities.

One of the key ways in which we help people with disabilities is through the disability tax credit. For those who qualify for it, it represents a benefit of up to almost $1,000 per year. About 450,000 Canadians benefit from these measures alone. In all, the disability tax credit provides tax relief of more than $400 million per year.

An even better indication of the government's commitment to helping Canadians with disabilities is to look at how we have enhanced the disability tax credit in recent years.

In the 1997 and 1998 budgets, and again as recently as 2000, we have expanded the list of medical professionals who can certify individuals eligible for the credit.

In budget 2000 the government broadened the eligibility criteria to include individuals with severe and prolonged impairments who require extensive therapy essential to sustain their vital functions. This had the effect of extending the credit to many dialysis patients and people who suffer from cystic fibrosis.

Budget 2000 also expanded the list of relatives to whom the disability tax credit could be transferred and introduced a supplement for families caring for children with severe and prolonged impairments. In addition, budget 2000 increased to $10,000 from $7,000 the limit on the child care expense deduction for children eligible for the disability tax credit.

Finally, as part of the government's five year $100 billion tax reduction plan, the amount used to calculate the amount of credit increased to $6,000 from $4,293 as of January 2001. In fact the tax reduction plan also restored full indexation to the personal income tax system to protect Canadians from automatic tax increases caused by inflation and to preserve the real value of benefits they receive, including the disability tax credit. For 2002 the disability tax credit amount is $6,180 and will increase to $6,279 in 2003.

Individually these measures may not be the stuff of four-inch headlines, but there is no disputing what these measures together mean for the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who receive this credit. The result is twofold and it can be stated quite simply: more Canadians are now eligible for this credit, and the tax credit for eligible recipients is greater than before.

The disability tax credit is only one of a number of steps the government has taken to assist people with disabilities. There are several other areas of the tax system that clearly show the direction in which the government is headed when it comes to helping those in need.

The medical expense tax credit helps people who face above average medical expenses. For 2002 the credit equals 16% of qualifying medical expenses in excess of about $1,700 per year, or 3% of net income.

The list of eligible medical expenses is regularly reviewed and expanded to keep pace with new technologies and the needs of Canadians. For example, budget 2000 recognized as an eligible expense the incremental cost of modifying new homes to assist individuals with severe mobility impairment.

In 1999 the budget expanded the list of eligible expenses to include the care and supervision of persons with severe and prolonged impairments living in a group home, tutoring for persons with learning disabilities and certain types of therapy.

In the 1997 budget sign language interpretation fees were one of several items added to the list of eligible expenses.

These examples are by no means exhaustive. Nevertheless they do give a sense of how one particular tax provision, the medical expense tax credit, responds to the vast range of needs and circumstances that Canadians face. Other measures have been enhanced too.

For example, in 1998 the government created the caregiver credit to help the many Canadians who provide in-home care to adult loved ones. For claimants this measure also represents an annual tax benefit of almost $600.

The infirm dependant credit provides tax assistance to individuals caring for an infirm relative who lives in a separate residence. Effective January 1, 2001 the amount used for calculating both this and the caregiver credit rose to $3,500 from $2,386, an increase of almost 50%.

Again, I must emphasize that this list of enhancements to the tax system aimed at helping persons with disabilities is instructive but is not exhaustive. Perhaps the best way for me to sum up what the government has done on the tax side to help Canadians with disabilities and their loved ones is to look at what has happened to the total bottom line benefits for these individuals during the last year.

In 1996 the federal tax assistance for these individuals amounted to $600 million. Today the total is $1.1 billion, an increase of 80%. This is a significant increase and is a clear sign of the government's priorities. The $1.1 billion per year in tax assistance is in turn only a fraction of the more than $4 billion we provide in support of Canadians with disabilities through the Canada pension plan and direct federal spending programs.

Human Resources Development Canada is the lead federal department on disability issues. It invests or delivers approximately $3 billion annually through the Canada pension plan and key departmental programs for persons with disabilities. These include programs designed to reduce barriers to labour force participation such as employability assistance for people with disabilities and the opportunities fund.

In addition, Canada study grants help reduce barriers to post-secondary education for students with disabilities. The social development partnerships program supports disability organizations, which have a crucial role to play in advancing issues of concern to Canadians with disabilities.

On that note I would like to return to the disability tax credit to discuss another aspect. In fact, the member for Halifax mentioned the August 30 proposed amendments to the disability tax credit.

In March this year the Federal Court of Appeal rendered a decision that would have expanded the eligibility for credit far beyond its policy intent. The decision would expand access to the disability tax credit to individuals who, because of food allergies or other similar medical conditions, must spend an inordinate amount of time to find, procure and prepare sustainable food. Such an expansion of eligibility would have resulted in fewer resources being available to individuals with severe impairments, an outcome that would obviously be unacceptable.

I would point out however that these are only proposals. The government is engaged currently with organizations to seek their comments with regard to the proposals, such proposals as an amendment to ensure that individuals would not be eligible for the credit solely on the basis of dietary restriction that results in an extraordinary amount of time being spent on choosing, shopping for, preparing or cooking food.

Similarly, the proposed amendments also clarify the intended meaning of being markedly restricted in dressing oneself as being unable, or taking an inordinate amount of time, to put on or remove one's clothes.

It is important however to remind the House that the objective of the proposed amendments, and they only are proposed, is not to reduce the government's support for persons with disabilities but rather to ensure that the support continues to be provided to those most in need based on sound medical diagnosis.

Even more to the point, I would emphasize that no one who was receiving the disability tax credit in accordance with its policy intent prior to the Federal Court of Appeal decision will be disqualified as a result of the amendments which are proposed and which we are seeking public comment on. Again, I would emphasize that no one who was receiving the disability tax credit in accordance with its policy intent prior to the Federal Court of Appeal decision in March will be disqualified as a result of these proposed amendments, should they go forth.

In short, these amendments punish no one. Nevertheless, we recognize that some people are concerned that they may be adversely affected by these amendments. That is why the minister and the department are in consultation.

I thank the member opposite for the issues that she has raised. We take these concerns very seriously. Officials are meeting and continue to meet with regard to this. The government is committed to ensuring that any unintended consequences which may surface, either now or in the future, are dealt with in a manner that is reasonable and compassionate.

SupplyGovernment Orders

10:55 a.m.

NDP

Wendy Lill NDP Dartmouth, NS

Madam Speaker, I thank the member from the other side of the House for his comments. I was interested that he talked about ongoing consultations with advocacy groups on this issue. I have heard that consultations have broken down and they are very discouraged by what the finance committee has been putting forward.

I have to come back to the people I have put forward as examples of persons with disabilities who are fearful and who have been asked to have their credit reviewed. One is a woman with multiple sclerosis, an episodic illness which does not seem to fit into the categories that Department of Finance is putting forward. People with mental illnesses and illnesses that are intermittent do not fit into the government's constellation of disabilities.

I ask the member how is it that persons with disabilities incurring additional costs, such as people with MS, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, will be comforted by his speech and what he says the government will do if the people do not fit into the proposed amendments put forward by the finance department?

SupplyGovernment Orders

10:55 a.m.

Liberal

Bryon Wilfert Liberal Oak Ridges, ON

Madam Speaker, again let me emphasize that there is no intent under the proposed amendments to disenfranchise anyone who currently meets the qualifications prior to March 2002. The intent is to ensure that the support continues to be directed to those who need it most. It is certainly not the intent of the government to disenfranchise individuals in any way.

I have outlined what the government is doing. A review is taking place. One should not lead to the conclusion that what is proposed is cast in stone. That is why discussions are taking place. They are proposed amendments. Obviously we are seeking comments from members in the House, from people directly affected and from the associations.

Let me again state clearly that the objective of the proposed amendments is not to reduce the government's support for persons with disabilities. It is to ensure those who are eligible under the disability tax credit continue to receive that assistance.

SupplyGovernment Orders

11 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

Philip Mayfield Canadian Alliance Cariboo—Chilcotin, BC

Madam Speaker, I have listened to the parliamentary secretary say in a highly qualified statement that no one who is qualified will be denied these benefits.

There has been a process where reapplication has been required by those who were receiving these benefits. I would like to know how many of those who were receiving them are no longer receiving them since this demand for reapplication was imposed.

SupplyGovernment Orders

11 a.m.

Liberal

Bryon Wilfert Liberal Oak Ridges, ON

Madam Speaker, the short answer is I do not know. CCRA sent out the forms. At this point I do not have that information, but I certainly will attempt to find out.