Mike Lake

[Business of Supply, May 18th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I really enjoyed the hon. member's speech. It was a bit different from some of the things we have heard from the Liberal members who have spoken so far, coming from a personal background. To be honest, I agree with almost everything the hon. member had to say.

We have before us a motion on a Canadian autism partnership, which has been worked on by experts, self-advocates, and researchers from across the country.

Autism is, by far, the most common neurological disorder facing North Americans today. It is one in 68, as mentioned. If we think of a family of four, one in 17 people in a family will be living with someone with autism.

This is a major step forward, beyond just good intentions, toward real action, something that will make a tangible difference in those people's lives. If we talk to the people who have been involved in this process all along, they are very much engaged in the idea that what happens with the Canadian autism partnership will have a meaningful impact beyond just people with autism. There is a real intention behind moving forward in that way.

I will ask the hon. member the same question I have asked each member who has spoken. Can the people in Canada's autism community count on the member's support when it comes to vote on this motion?

[Business of Supply, May 18th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member shows a good working knowledge of the autism surveillance system. Our government put it in place, and it is critically important. However, we are not discussing that today.

The autism surveillance program is important, but what is the point of surveillance? What is the point of identifying who has autism if we are not going to use the information? Once we know people have autism, is it okay that their families are mortgaging their houses to get evidence-based treatment? Is it okay that 85% of people with autism are not employed?

I am going to ask a very clear question. Is the hon. member going to support this motion, yes or no?

[Business of Supply, May 18th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, just so everybody hears it, it is Wetaskiwin. It is not Wisconsin, but that is interesting. I have been smiling all day as I have heard people trying to say it. The folks of Wetaskiwin will appreciate my getting up and correcting that.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons has got up a couple of times and I think we sense a theme on the Liberal side talking about research. It is interesting. The Liberals talk about five years of research. Most of the research they are talking about is research that we funded when we were in government. That research is critically important. The Canadian autism partnership working group had four of the top researchers in the world as four of its 12 members. They recognize that, for their research to be effective, it actually has to be put into practice. The Canadian autism partnership does that. It takes that research and it works with governments, takes the information that the top experts in the country have and brings it together in one place, and it allows the community to speak with one voice on all the things that are important to it through these experts, to provide evidence-based advice to governments to make decisions that matter in the daily lives of families.

I would ask the hon. member to speak to what he sees is the importance of good-quality research to impacting the lives of Canadians.

[Business of Supply, May 18th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, as the member mentioned, Jaden is a friend of hers. Our offices were on the same floor in the Valour Building for a little while. Jaden always loved to find her. I do not know if it is because she looked like Barney, as she said, but he really did have an affection for her, because she was nice to him, and loved to get his high five and a hug. He really looked forward to running down the hall when he knew that she was there.

The member talks about Jaden being an adult. Jaden is a smaller adult. He is about five feet six inches tall and weighs about 115 pounds. I think about a friend, Amanda Telford, whose son Philippe is, as she describes, about the size of an NHL defenceman. Things got so overwhelming for her family here in Ottawa that a few years back, she had to drop Philippe off at a social services office. The family could not handle him anymore in the home. They had nowhere else to go.

It is easy to get caught up in talking about children's issues, early intervention, and those kinds of things, and forget adults with autism and the challenges faced by families. I just want to thank the hon. member for taking the time to recognize those challenges.

[Business of Supply, May 18th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member. We do not agree on everything, certainly, but I appreciate that we agree on this. I appreciate that the hon. member has done her homework on this. I especially appreciate the shout-out to Jessica Pigeau. She is an amazing self-advocate, one of seven self-advocates in the advisory group who really helped. When we heard them speak at the CASDA summit a little bit more than a month ago, it was the most impactful part of the entire Canadian ASD summit here in Ottawa, when the self-advocates took the stage and made the case for the Canadian autism partnership project.

I also appreciate her response to the parliamentary secretary's continued pointing out of research dollars. What we are talking about here is a treatment gap of hundreds of millions of dollars across the country, most of which is delivered at the provincial level. In the CAPP, $3.8 million investment will help provincial governments to make the best decisions they can, and help the federal government in its jurisdiction to make the best decisions it can for people living with autism.

Research is important, critically important, but that is not what this day is about today.

[Business of Supply, May 18th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, I have no doubt that the research funding that the member is talking about is critically important, but that is not what we are discussing today.

He has been asked the question multiple times, and I will ask it again. It is a dime per Canadian per year. Will the government be supporting this motion?

[Business of Supply, May 18th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, interestingly, the research chair, the surveillance program “ready, willing, and able”, and Community Works were all initiatives that we put in place when we were in government. I really would commend the late Jim Flaherty for having a heart for Canadians with disabilities in ensuring there was something for Canadians with developmental disabilities in every single budget during his time as finance minister.

I am going to ask a very straightforward question about the Canadian autism partnership. Dr. Jonathan Weiss was one of the people in the working group. The Sinneave Family Foundation, Autism Speaks, and CASDA were all represented on the working group that put the report forward. I will ask the hon. member straight out. Will the government be supporting this motion?

[Business of Supply, May 18th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, I am not 100% clear what the question was, even with translation.

I appreciate the sentiment and best wishes. I do not question that members on all sides of the House like the work I am doing and like my son Jaden. However, we will not get anywhere if we never get beyond best wishes.

Families across the country need action now. Today families learn their children have autism because there is more and more information, or some informal relationship, a friend or someone like that, has helped them understand their children have autism. However, they wait a year or two for a diagnosis that will help them get the treatment they need. Then they wait a year or two for that treatment. They desperately need that now. To lose that window is devastating for those families. In many cases, if they can afford it, they mortgage their houses to do it, because they know their children need the help today.

This debate seems to continue to drag on without any commitment to move forward. We need to move beyond the conversation in the House of Commons and pass this motion now. It is just a motion; it is not binding, in and of itself. The government then needs to act when it is passed. Families need this now.

[Business of Supply, May 18th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, while it is a Canadian autism partnership, one thing that everyone has had on their minds, as we discuss this with stakeholders, is that the impact needs to be beyond just the world of autism.

For example, it was brought up a couple of times that the government was undertaking accessibility legislation. The Canadian autism partnership would work to help inform accessibility legislation on behalf of Canadians living with autism. It would work with other organizations, for example, the Canadian Association for Community Living. It might work with that organization on housing and sharing ideas on not only how to help Canadians living with autism, but other Canadians living with other development disabilities, which the CACL serves. There is huge potential.

When we talk about the CAP informing and advising governments in their jurisdictions, that includes the federal government. A big focus, for example, for the working group and others working on this is aboriginal communities and how the Canadian autism partnership might work with them to better serve their families living with autism.

[Business of Supply, May 18th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, one in 68 people live with autism. If we think about an average family of four, that means one in 17 Canadians lives in a family with someone with autism.

It took a long time to get there, and a lot of conversations with incredible public servants in health and of course in our government at the time to ensure we had something that respected jurisdiction and had a meaningful impact. The Canadian autism partnership will do that. It is not just another autism organization. It is a partnership with the Canadian autism community, speaking with one authoritative voice as best it can, not always unanimously, finding that 80% we can agree upon, and to give evidence-based advice to government so elected people from all political parties in all parts of the country can make the best decisions possible.