Debates of May 18th, 2017

Opposition Motion—Autism Spectrum Disorder

[Cheryl Hardcastle, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I made the statements in my speech for a reason. All I can go back to is that I see people every day, persons living with different abilities, who are beautiful people, and they are gifts to all of us. We need national strategies. The only way for us to do that is to recognize the merits of these kinds of approaches and to not work in silos.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with my colleague, the member for Richmond—Arthabaska.

Mr. Speaker, today we are debating a motion brought forth by my colleague and dear friend, the member for Edmonton—Wetaskiwin, and I want to thank him very much for this. I am surprised that we are actually debating this. I am shocked that the government has not signalled that it will be supporting this.

Autism spectrum disorder is widely considered the fastest-growing neurological disorder in Canada, affecting one in 68 kids, including my own son. Before I get into my personal experience with the disorder, I would like to discuss autism and raise more awareness about what it is exactly.

In the past, in the early days, autism was recognized as distinct subtypes, including autistic disorder; childhood disintegrative disorder; pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified; and Asperger syndrome. In May 2016, they were merged into one diagnosis, and that is what we are calling autism spectrum disorder.

ASD is a lifelong diagnosis that affects those who have autism in many different ways. The symptoms can include social impairment, restricted and repetitive behaviour, intellectual disability, and motor and attention difficulties, just to name a few.

However, those who have autism, including my own son, can also excel in certain areas, such as music—for example, my son can play three instruments—languages—he can speak a couple of languages really well, and I cannot even speak English or French properly—art, and even visual skills. This is one of the wonderful things about individuals with autism. Each individual is unique.

Forty per cent of those on the spectrum, like my own son, have above average academic and intellectual abilities, and about 25% are non-verbal. However, they can learn to communicate using other means. We just need to give them those resources.

Signs of autism usually tend to emerge around the ages of two or three, but more needs to be done to raise awareness about the signs to help families detect autism early on.

The motion brought forward by my colleague addresses an issue he knows all too well and for which he has been a great champion for many years. It calls on the government to grant $19 million over five years, which has been requested by the Canadian autism partnership working group, the self-advocates advisory group, and the Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorders Alliance.

Unfortunately, this funding was nowhere to be found in budget 2017. The Liberals do not seem to realize that this funding is needed to help establish a Canadian autism partnership program that would support families and address key issues, such as research, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment.

In contrast, in the 2015 budget, under the previous Conservative government, the Canadian Autism Partnership Project, CAPP, was established. It is worth noting that many Liberals supported that idea, such as senator Jim Munson, a Liberal senator.

The national ASD group, led by the Minister of Health and some of Canada's leading autism experts, was established to guide the work of CAPP, which received $2 million in funding to explore a partnership concept through broad-based engagement that would address all the issues I have raised.

Our 2015 election platform also promised:

...we'll continue to support the Autism Spectrum Disorder Working Group's work to develop a Canadian autism partnership. We'll be read to support the initiative in areas of federal jurisdiction once the development work is complete.

As we have all heard, this should not be a partisan issue. This is a matter that needs to be addressed at the federal level but has, unfortunately, been ignored by the Liberal government.

It is disappointing to hear and see that Liberal MPs would rather hand out millions of dollars to Bombardier executives so they can reward themselves with big bonuses over providing necessary funding for issues such as autism spectrum disorder.

My friend, the member for Carleton, put it into perspective. One bonus to one Bombardier millionaire executive would pay for the entire autism commitment.

I want to share my family's own experience with autism spectrum disorder. It is not something I share very often, but I assure members that I have received permission. Since this is an important issue, and we need to raise as much awareness as possible, I spoke with my son last night and I got his permission.

My son was diagnosed with Asperger's, which was one of the previously separate subtypes of autism that I mentioned earlier in my speech.

Those who are diagnosed with Asperger's are considered to be at the high-functioning end of the spectrum. However, he, like many others who are eventually diagnosed with Asperger's, had difficulty with social interactions.

Without a doubt, we faced many challenges. There was growing frustration with the school system and the medical system, since he was poorly diagnosed.

There was frustration with the system then and, unfortunately, there is still frustration for many families now. My son was very fortunate, because, unlike many Canadian families facing the same and sometimes more difficult circumstances, we had the means to put him into a private school so that he could get the attention he needed due to the challenges he faced. We held him back a year, which was very controversial, but he was able to get some wins: he raised his self-esteem and confidence. Achieving all of this took many years of hard work, because it was hard work for him. He worked hard on his social interaction skills so that he could start to read social cues. He actually had to intentionally make eye contact while having conversations with another person.

After years of frustration, misdiagnoses, and hard work, I am extremely proud to say that in spite of all of his challenges, my son has just finished his second year of medical school and is one of the youngest kids in his class. People who meet my son today would never know that he faced these challenges when he was younger. Some people would know, and my colleague from Edmonton—Wetaskiwin probably would know, but because of his gift, he had to work harder, and we as a family had to work harder. We had to educate ourselves and the people around us. Today, I can honestly say that he is one of the best communicators I know, and I am more proud of him and his accomplishments than ever.

As I said, my family was fortunate enough to have the means to ensure the best care and education was available to my son, and this is not the case for all Canadians. We still lack public awareness, especially in our school systems. We lack research and treatment, and most importantly, we still lack proper and early diagnoses.

The Liberals cannot ignore this issue any longer. Yesterday, the Minister of Health chose to ignore questions from my colleagues about autism spectrum disorder funding. She kind of skirted the question. Today she was asked again, and she again refused to answer. The reality is that she is failing hundreds of thousands of Canadians who are living with autism spectrum disorder. I am not just talking about the kids; I am talking the moms and dads, the sisters and brothers, and the people in the community.

This is the Minister of Health's and the Liberal government's opportunity to do the right thing. This is $3.8 million, which is a rounding error in comparison to what the government is spending around the world on other kinds of initiatives. In fact, this is a smart and responsible investment that can make the lives of many Canadians better. I encourage all members of the House to vote in favour of this motion so that proper funding can be allocated to this very important issue.

I want to speak a little more about my son, because he is an example of this. Because he was able to get the help he needed, he is going to help other Canadians, with a perspective that very few of us have. One of his frustrations, but also one of his gifts, is that kids with Asperger's can focus like a laser. If they are interested in something, they can do it, and they can achieve it better than many other ordinary Canadians. If we look back in history, we could name numerous people with autism: Temple Grandin, who many people know is on the speaking circuit now; Charles Darwin had autism; Albert Einstein; Jerry Seinfeld thinks he's on the spectrum; Isaac Asimov; Susan Boyle, the singer; Dan Aykroyd, the Canadian comedian. All of these people achieved wonderful things in spite of the challenges they faced.

It is so important for us in the House to know that we can make a difference. When I look at the ask my colleague has made of the House and also at the big picture, it is a small investment for such a large return that will affect Canadians. This group has worked hard since I have been in the House. As I said earlier, Mr. Speaker, you and I were both elected in 2004 and there was not much out there, but today there is. By making this very small investment, the government can make a huge difference not only to Canadians affected by autism spectrum disorder but to all Canadians, because when these kids get the help they need, they can achieve anything. I believe that. Let us vote for this motion today and support my colleague from Edmonton—Wetaskiwin.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I want to pass on a special thanks to the member's son for being courageous enough to allow the member to share his story, because that can be tough. It is a big decision for a lot of people. It again reminds me of the incredible group of self-advocates who are part of this budget ask, who are part of this ask today, part of the partnership working group process. Seven of them came to Ottawa at the beginning of April and advocated strongly and articulately for this Canadian autism partnership.

I think again about the incredible researchers in this country who are supportive of this ask. I think about all of the stakeholder groups and organizations from coast to coast who are supporting this ask. I think about the Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorders Alliance and the families that I hear from every single day across this country who speak to the absolute necessity of taking out second mortgages on their homes to pay for evidence-based treatment for their kids, families who are wondering what will happen to their kid when they pass away, and even what housing options are available for their kids. I think of the members from multiple parties who we heard talking articulately about the importance of some of these things.

As a parent, maybe you could speak to the importance of the Canadian autism partnership with respect to your family's experience.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I want to again remind hon. members to speak through the Speaker and not directly to the other members.

The hon. member for Oshawa.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his comments because I am very proud of my son. I am proud of all of my three kids, but this was the first time that I told his story in this House, and I did ask him, so I thank him for that.

The work that has been done by the autism community is invaluable. When I look at the amount of awareness, the opportunities, and the options that are coming forth, I can see that we have some momentum. That is what is really saddening for me. This group has worked across partisan lines and does have momentum.

As I said, I have been very fortunate, but there are families out there right now who are struggling. When we are looking at the future of Canada, we can see that autistic Canadians are one of the untapped resources that we can reach out to. We can get them more involved. Many people with autism are not as engaged as they could be. I know that with the bit more of an edge that could be provided if we keep this momentum going, these people will contribute and will continue to contribute to make Canada great. All they need is continued support. Therefore, I ask all members of this House to please support this motion.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am the NDP critic for housing and a member of the all-party anti-poverty caucus.

I often hear about how many people living with disabilities also live below the poverty line. Earlier, someone mentioned that 80% of adults with autism spectrum disorder do not have jobs. It can be very hard to find an apartment or suitable housing with limited financial resources.

Does my colleague think we should pay special attention to housing to help people with autism spectrum disorder and others with disabilities, such as his son?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Hochelaga has pointed out something that many people with autism are facing, which is the issue of housing.

Do I think we should focus specifically on it? No, I do not, but it is part of the picture.

People with autism want to be able to afford their own rent. People with autism want to be employed. She mentioned the percentage of autistic people who are unemployed. There is no need for that.

One of the things that I am really proud of with respect to the initiatives we have seen over the last few years is that there are programs out there that are matching employers with people who have autism, and they are contributing. They are a part of our everyday lives. We see them in our own communities, in the grocery stores we go to or when we are out and about doing our daily affairs. We need to be part of that and continue it.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

It is my duty, pursuant to Standing Order 38, to inform the House that the questions to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment are as follows: the hon. member for Mégantic—L'Érable, Rail Transportation; the hon. member for Calgary Rocky Ridge, Government Appointments.

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, before I give my speech, I want to say that I am very proud to rise in the House today to speak to the motion moved by my colleague from the riding of Edmonton—Wetaskiwin, which addresses a very important subject, autism spectrum disorder.

Since arriving in the House a year and a half ago, I have gotten to know him and how hard he works. He has shown remarkable perseverance on this file and has been doggedly determined to convince us, the caucus members, to move this motion. This is the kind of file that could have been set aside or deferred until later. However, it is important to consider the needs of the children and adults presently living with this disorder.

As I was saying, I have the immense pleasure of rising in the House to offer my support to the people and families dealing with autism spectrum disorder.

As we all know, this disorder affects many Canadians across the country. It is currently the fastest-growing neurological disorder in Canada. In fact, one in 68 children will be diagnosed with autism, which can take different forms but usually results in difficulties with communication, behaviour, and social interactions.

Despite the fact that I do not have the same expertise as the member for Edmonton—Wetaskiwin, the sponsor of this motion and father of a child with autism, I have had the opportunity, over the course of my career, to interact with people affected by autism. I know that they face many challenges, but I have also heard many stories of caring and love.

I say that because, before becoming an MP, I was the mayor of a municipality. At that time, I was frequently approached by parents, families, and children who were seeking support through community organizations. Before that, I was a teacher and principal at elementary and secondary schools, where I interacted with children with autism on a daily basis. I could see that their parents, despite how much they loved their children, were still experiencing some level of distress over the days, weeks, and months. They were sending us a message.

I would like to tell a personal story. When I was the principal of a high school in Plessisville, there was a young boy who was being assessed and ended up being diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. I believe it is similar to autism, but I am not an expert on the subject.

People's natural reflex, based on ignorance, was to send him to to a group with extra support, or a group for students with behavioural issues. A psychologist friend of mine with a PhD, who was involved in his case through a community organization in my region, asked to meet with me as a private individual. She knew the child and told me that I should not put him in a group with extra support because he was a different kind of kid with particular exceptionalities, but he did not have behavioural issues. Here was a kid who understood the rules but had his own exceptionalities.

It is funny because sometimes I wondered if maybe he was the “normal” one compared to the other children.

In class, the teacher gave a very simple instruction: you must raise your hand before you ask a question. This student simply followed the instruction given by the teacher. He saw students all around him who asked questions without raising their hands and disrupted the class. He got upset at one point and the teacher asked him to leave because he was disrupting the class. He came to my office and I tried to piece together what had happened. The professional explained to me that the student had reacted because the others did not understand the rules of the class. I thought it was rather odd that a child was being punished simply for wanting everyone to follow the rules. All that to say that perhaps he was the one who represented what was normal, and the others were the ones who had behaviour problems.

I say this a bit tongue in cheek, but still, it shows how little understanding we had of this issue at that time. A great deal of work has been done since then with our professionals so they can better understand and support these kids in class.

Stories like this one, about kids who integrate into social and group activities at school or who receive extra help in class, are often the ones we have in mind when we think of people with autism.

However, this is only part of the problem, because people still have the disorder after they finish school. We must therefore not limit our reflections to just children and teenagers when we try to come up with solutions to this health problem.

We have to understand that these young people will grow older with autism and will need other types of supports in their adult lives. That is when reality hits and the lack of resources is most dire. We can say that there is a huge gap between the services that young people receive when in school and those they receive after graduating, because most of the care and services stop once they reach the age of majority.

This transition from life as a student to life as an adult, which presents significant challenges for most Canadians, becomes suddenly very difficult for these young people with this disability, if we can call it that. They are cut off from most of their resources, which causes a great deal of stress and anxiety.

The working group that established the Canadian Autism Partnership project, which we are debating today, describes the lack of resources for adults living with autism. It says that the services and programs needed by adults living with autism generally do not exist or are not accessible in all regions of Canada, especially opportunities for jobs that are adapted to these individuals. It adds that provincial and territorial policies vary and that, no matter the location, families and individuals living with autism deplore the lack of support. Things get worse when autistic people reach retirement age. They usually do not have a pension or income because they have been unable to work over the course of their lives.

This reality is addressed in today's motion, where it refers to the challenges people with autism face over their lifespan. Let us not forget the parents, loved ones, brothers, and sisters who continue to support a loved one with this disorder, not to mention those living alone.

Although these two situations are different, with some living with their family and others living alone, the issue of housing is critical. Every person should be entitled to safe, affordable, and adapted housing whether we are talking about an existing house, a residence for persons with disabilities, or an individual apartment.

As mentioned earlier, employability is another important aspect. This might include adapting the workplace or creating adapted jobs. Ultimately, we must ensure that there are prospects for all autistic adults so that they may contribute in their own way and fully participate in their community's economic activities. That is the foundation of their physical and mental health.

This community involvement also has to include opportunities for socializing. The school system allows them to interact with other peers and friends and to develop and build relationships that are important for human development. However, once school is over, unfortunately, these opportunities for social development tend to dwindle, something that must be remedied immediately.

Like those of everyone else, the needs of people with autism change over the years, and those needs must be met. Today, we need to ask ourselves to what degree those needs are being met and take real action to address the gaps. That is what this motion does by proposing to properly fund a Canadian autism partnership. Such a partnership would give us the ability to assess what is being done across the country and ensure that people with autism and their families have what they need. I want to emphasize that it is also important to think about the families. This partnership would help us put people with autism and their families in contact with health care professionals, teachers, researchers, and decision-makers in order to facilitate the sharing of information and best practices.

These conversations between the federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments are essential so that we can share innovative solutions that can help people with autism across the country. By setting up this unique partnership, we will ensure that people with autism and their families can live their lives with dignity.

In closing, I want to recognize all of those people who are living with autism and their families. I thank them for their passion and dedication. We will continue to fight for them so that they have the resources they need. We will ensure that all parliamentarians support the motion, without partisanship.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is telling that the Liberals are almost non-existent in this debate today. Even when the opportunity arises to ask questions, no one stands up. No one asks a question.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, I have been around throughout the day. I have stood up. I even stood up in the last round to ask a question, and I am a member of the Liberal Party caucus.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

That is more of debate.

I would like to remind the hon. member for Edmonton—Wetaskiwin that we cannot refer to who is present and who is not. I will let him continue.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I was not actually referring to who was present or not present. I was just talking about engagement in the debate.

It has been a really rough day for the Liberals who have had to be in the House. I almost feel sorry for members who have had to stand up and read from their talking points. There is quite a distinct difference between the debate we hear on that side of the House and the debate from Conservative and New Democrat members who are able to speak passionately about something that they believe is really important today.

The motion is very clear. It is a very non-partisan motion. It is very easy to support, and yet Liberal members have had a really tough time defending their positions today because they are really indefensible.

I learned a lot from the member. That was an incredibly articulate speech. One of the things I love about these types of debates is that opportunity to learn. One of the things the member spoke about is his experience as a principal.

We get so caught up in talking about kids issues or one specific part of the autism spectrum that sometimes we lose sight of the fact that the Canadian autism partnership is designed to address lifespan issues, people across the spectrum and throughout their lifespan and the issues that they might face. Maybe the hon. member wants to speak to that a little more from his experience.

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for giving me the opportunity to continue. I want to make the connection here with the boy I was talking about who helped me learn so much. It just so happens that a friend of mine has a PhD and has worked with young people with autism spectrum disorder, including some diagnosed with Asperger's.

The boy I mentioned was enrolled in school. Typically, he would have been put into a group of students with behavioural disorders who need help, but it was recommended he not be. In fact, he was put in a class for gifted students that we called “window on the world”. The kids worked with laptops. He was exposed to all kinds of interactions, which was really hard for him socially. A few years later, I heard that he was in CEGEP, which is like the first couple of years of university in Quebec, completing his information technology diploma.

A few years ago, this child might have been sent to a school for children with severe behavioural disorders because we had little knowledge of the condition. Today, he has a diploma and is a functioning member of society because he was lucky enough to cross paths with people who could help and support him.

It is unbelievable that the government, the party in power, is not supporting such a motion. We are talking about less than $4 million a year for five years. I work on the banking and infrastructure file and when I see that the Liberals are able to find billions of dollars to help their friends and when I see the millions of dollars spent by some ministers on refurnishing their offices, I just think this is scandalous. We are talking about less than $4 million a year for five years according to an independent, non-partisan report that calls for support for families across Canada, without discrimination.

I am proud of my colleague for holding his ground and persevering. He was determined to get his motion on the order paper and to highlight this problem.

Again, we hope that the Liberals will end up having a change of heart.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about an issue affecting Canadians from coast to coast, autism spectrum disorder, or ASD.

I would like to thank my friend and colleague, the member for Edmonton—Wetaskiwin, for his hard work and his passion on this file. I am sure it is greatly appreciated by many across the country. He is doing a fantastic job, and I encourage the member to keep going on this journey, pushing this file forward.

I would like to thank all the members who have spoken before me and who will continue to speak after me. It is a very important motion and a very important issue. It affects people directly, the people suffering from ASD, as well as their families that are dealing with this. It is a terrible thing to have to deal with. I know my mother suffered from a very progressive form of MS. For the family unit to continue pushing forward, it is extremely difficult for all around, but we persevere and we continue to move forward.

Before I continue, I would like to mention that I am splitting my time with my hon. colleague from Carleton.

I would also like to recognize the organizations from coast to coast for their tireless work. I am certain everyone in this chamber knows of someone on the spectrum. They are our family, friends, neighbours involved in our communities, and they contribute to society. They are some of the most kind, generous, and, not to mention, incredibly smart people in our towns and cities.

For those at home, the motion we are discussing calls:

...on the government to grant the $19 million over 5 years requested by the Canadian Autism Partnership working group, Self-Advocates advisory group, and the Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorders Alliance, in order to establish a Canadian Autism Partnership that would support families and address key issues such as information sharing and research, early detection, diagnosis and treatment.

With the enormous amounts of money the Liberal government is spending on items with far less return on investment, like multi-million dollar office renovations, free tickets to a Broadway play, a taxpayer-funded vacation to billionaire island, or even lush spending on executives at Bombardier, this $3.8 million for each of the next five years is a comparatively small amount that could make an incredible difference to families across the country.

I sincerely hope the motion will receive support on all sides of the chamber. It is an issue that crosses political, economic, social, and cultural divisions. The funding requested will directly and positively affect Canadians. It is an opportunity to really help those who need it.

Here are some quick facts about ASD in Canada.

One in 68 children are diagnosed with autism, which is a 100% increase in just a decade. Boys are nearly five times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with ASD. Over 500,000 Canadians are living with ASD. It is the fastest-growing and diagnosed neurological disorder in Canada. In fact, lifelong caregiving can cost up to $5.5 million dollars more than the cost for a neuro-typical developing child. It costs approximately $60,000 a year to care for someone with autism, with most of that cost being special education and loss of parental income.

This conversation also reminds me of the battle the Ontario Liberal government lost a few years ago, when families of the 30,000 Ontario children with autism had to fight. Premier Kathleen Wynne told them that when their children turned five, or nearly five, they no longer qualified for intensive behaviour intervention, IBI. This is the only treatment that is statistically effective at improving the development of autistic children.

After a hard fight by opposition parties and the families of those affected by the short-sighted decision, Premier Wynne finally backed down. I am hoping their federal cousins will do the same and rethink their decision.

Autism spectrum disorder is a complex developmental brain disorder that can affect the normal function of the immune and nervous systems. It is a lifelong diagnosis that manifests itself in a wide range of symptoms, including difficulty communicating, social impairments, and restricted and repetitive behaviour. Individuals with autism and their families face unique challenges over their lifespan, potentially leading to families in crisis situations. People living with ASD face daily challenges, depending on where they fall on that spectrum.

As I mentioned earlier, ASD does not discriminate. It is one of the fastest growing neurological disorders in Canada. It is important that we understand some of the daily effects of it on Canadians. By no means is this an all inclusive list, but it is important for everyone to realize the daily challenges and issues that people suffering from ASD and their families face.

Children with ASD are eight times more likely to suffer from one or more chronic Gl problems than any other children. Seventy per cent have feeding or eating problems, including restricted eating or obesity. More than 50% have one or more sleep problems. One-third of people with autism are non-verbal. One-third of people with autism also have intellectual disabilities. Between 50% and 70% of people with ASD have one or more co-occurring mental health conditions, including ADHD, anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. Epilepsy affects around one-third of people with ASD compared to an estimated 1% to 2% of the general population. This is a serious disorder that has lasting problems.

I am proud to be standing here to offer my support for the motion on behalf of the many families and people affected by ASD. While I may not always agree with my colleagues opposite, I would find it quite troubling to see any member stand up in the House and oppose this.

During my research for this speech, I also learned that approximately 25% of individuals with autism are employed. Most of this group is considered high functioning, and only six per cent are competitively employed. With increased research, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment, we could have an even larger percentage of people living with ASD in the workforce, which would not only benefit them but their families and all Canadians.

I would like to discuss the impact of this motion in my riding. I am proud of the many organizations in my riding of Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock that directly help people and families with ASD. I would like to reiterate a story from my riding about a local person with autism in Haliburton who, thanks to the efforts of Point in Time and the support of the Haliburton community, completed high school and is currently excelling in college.

We have many similar stories across my riding and across this country of the great work of organizations and people supporting those with ASD. It is important to recognize these organizations for their great efforts: Point In Time; Community Living in Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton County; Five Counties Children's Centre; Horses Help Canada in Millbrook; Kawartha Lakes Autism Support; Kids First, Inc.; Kinark Child and Family Services; Camp Kirk; and the Durham Chapter of Autism Ontario that looks after Brock Township. There are of course many others.

I would also like to mention the Maier Centre for autism services. While this organization is not in my riding, my colleague from Edmonton West has done outstanding work with this group.

Unfortunately, due to its two most recent budgets, the Liberal government has neglected to make any pledges to autism organizations in Canada. This is in contrast to our previous government, which pledged $2 million in 2015-2016 to support stakeholder relationships on a Canadian autism partnership, of which $1.5 million would be used to support stakeholder participation in that working group. The group was tasked with developing a plan for the Canadian autism partnership that would address key issues such as information sharing and research, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment for supporting families.

Autism is a cross-partisan issue. It affects people from coast to coast. As I said, probably every member in the chamber knows someone affected by autism.

[Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, I have been listening to the debate with great interest. I applaud the advocacy work and the lived experiences that we have heard expressed here today. This is a serious issue, and many approaches need to be pursued in order to provide not just better treatment but also better therapies as well as support for families.

One of the concerns that many parents express to us is the lack of supportive housing for their children as they age and the parents are not there in later years to care for them. For the last 15 years there has been no program of supportive housing that permitted medical supports and medical financing from departments of health, whether provincial or federal, to combine with CMHC grants and public housing grants to create the supportive housing required to allow these individuals to live independently.

In light of the fact that the budget for the first time puts those resources in place to create exactly the kind of supportive housing that is required, is the member opposite prepared to support that part of the budget to make sure we create supportive housing to allow children with autism to age gracefully with the support they need to be as productive as possible?

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I do appreciate the question and if the hon. member wants to separate that from the budget, I am happy to support that, but obviously there are many problems that I and many people on this side of the House have with the budget.

I would like to build on what the member opposite was talking about. When we look at the return on investment that these organizations can provide to help families dealing with other members of their family with autism, we see the benefit that can happen and the good that can come out of this, and for a relatively small amount, $3.8 million over the next five years. I think we would see incredible investments and incredible steps forward. I hope the members opposite will have a change of heart and will support the motion.

[Wayne Stetski, NDP, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all my colleagues today for their speeches, but particularly the members from the NDP and Conservative Party for their very personal stories related to autism. I really do believe in fact-based decision-making. The facts as I understand them are, first of all, the autism community was asked to come up with a plan and a strategy collectively, which it has done. Second, it has asked for $19 million over five years, which is less than $2 million per year. Third, we have heard that autism is a growing concern in Canada in terms of the number of people suffering from autism.

Given those facts, can the member help me understand why the Liberal government is not supporting this $19 million over five years?

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question from my friend across the way, although I do not know what goes on in a Liberal member's head. I will speak to what I am thinking and I do appreciate the opportunity to do so.

To the member's comment, the results that $3.8 million over the next five years would have is a huge benefit for those families dealing with members who are living with autism. We think of the work that these groups can do in coming together. Some of the top researchers and scientists in their field, some of the top advocates for moving forward with the autism file would be coming together, discussing and coming up with ways to move forward. This would be a huge return on investment. To not even move in this direction, to simply ignore the fact that this relatively small amount of money can come back with huge benefits for all Canadians is simply unfortunate.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Resuming debate, the hon. member for Carleton. I would like to point out that he has approximately five minutes. We will run out of time before we reach the full 10 minutes.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this debate reminds me of a visit I made to a grocery store in my community. A lady walked up to me with her daughter. The lady thanked me for having sent her a birthday card, as her autistic daughter stood in the aisle tapping her hands on the canned foods beside her. We talked for a little while, exchanged pleasantries and caught up. As the two of them were about to leave, her mother asked me when my birthday was so she could send me a card. I said told her it was June 3. Without even looking back at me, as she continued to tap away on those cans, the little girl said “That's a Tuesday”. We were in February, so I opened up my BlackBerry and sure enough, June 3 would fall on a Tuesday, a fact that she had instantaneously calculated, without even listening to our conversation. She did not even look back at us to show pride for her incredible intellectual accomplishment.

That led me to understand the treasures of the autistic mind, treasures that we do not yet fully understand how to unlock. They are treasures that have been glimmering in places all around the world.

I think of the famous Temple Grandin, who is an animal behaviour expert and the author of about a dozen books on autism and animal treatment. She has designed systems for slaughterhouses, which are now used to treat about 50% of the cattle that go into slaughterhouses and end up on the plates of American consumers across the United States. In fact, McDonald's has said that her standards are required of its suppliers because they guarantee humane treatment of animals.

How did she do this? How did she design these different systems? For example, there are dipping vats to disinfect the cows, grip flooring to prevent them from slipping, and curved pathways toward the stun guns so no animal can see the fate of the one before it, all designed to reduce the immense anxiety that would naturally come with that experience for the animal, which ultimately reduces the cost and increases the efficiency of animal treatment.

She did this because the visual track of her mind is 400% larger than the average mind, a fact that the University of Utah was able to establish when it did imaging of her mind. This incredible intellectual advantage was difficult to harness and easily concealed. When she was a child, it took her until age three to even learn how to speak. The amygdala in her brain was unusually large, which is the emotional nerve centre of her mind. A school bell sounded like a drill going off in her brain, which she explains in her wonderful book. These incredible sensory overloads almost incapacitated her completely, but for the fact that her mother believed in her and worked with her to teach her how to read, to speak, and write.

Meticulon, a company in Calgary, is turning autistic people into well-paid IT professionals so they can earn an independent life for themselves and eventually, hopefully, their families.

Peter Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal, has said that he believes autism is almost necessary to be a successful innovator in the high-tech sector. This is the potential we have the ability to unlock.

However, we need the knowledge that the autism partnership would bring, the best practices to expand those successes across the country. For the small cost of a few million dollars a year, less than the cost of one Bombardier executive's salary this year alone, we could disseminate that knowledge and create a real success for Canadians.

I call on all members of the House of Commons to support that opportunity by voting for the motion and enacting it as quickly as possible.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

It being 5:15 p.m., pursuant to an order made earlier today, all questions necessary to dispose of the opposition motion are deemed put and a recorded division deemed requested and deferred until Tuesday, May 30, at the expiry of time provided for oral questions.

[David Graham, Liberal, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I believe if you were to seek it, you would find unanimous consent to see the clock as 5:30 p.m.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.