Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise and present a petition on behalf of concerned constituents. They are concerned because, as we all know here, the poverty rates among people in the disabled community in Canada are shamefully high.
The petitioners point out that after COVID, a lot of services that are essential for people in the disabled community are provided virtually, but the tax system has not caught up to this reality, so disabled Canadians are taxed on services that are a medical necessity. Prior to COVID, had they gone in person to receive them, they would have been tax-free.
The petitioners are asking the Minister of Finance to revise the criteria, review the real-life situation of Canadians living with disabilities and establish a new standard for tax exemptions to enable organizations to offer tax-free virtual support services and programs. It is a matter of essential justice.