Canadian Heritage committee  No matter what you do around this table, whatever other committees do around the table, mistakes can be made. People might just not dream of the possible ramifications that could be out there.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes.

Canadian Heritage committee  It doesn't matter what stripe the government is—

Canadian Heritage committee  They would be helpful. I'd say there may be some things I don't know about. Certainly, from what I understand, it's like an RESP program, which means any money that goes into it is after tax. It might be, from my point of view, better if it were like an RRSP program. On the other hand, we have incomes, so we're able to put money into it.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes. The parents will have to do what we did. Initially, we went to our local MP. Then we went beyond that. We went to Human Rights. We were told that actually the change of the policy was okay, that it made it more equal for us. We still disagreed. So we finally found a lawyer who was willing to apply for court challenges program funding, and went forward.

Canadian Heritage committee  I can only guesstimate, as a parent. But in the courtroom they had two federal government lawyers at the table. They had an assistant. They had somebody sitting in the audience as well. The team had flown from Ottawa. This was a Winnipeg-based lawyer. There were x number of court days.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes. As I said, they had the resources that stayed with them. We were only individual parents who were trying to get on an equal footing. As I said, I did challenge it before the tribunal, the board of review. For one thing, they couldn't hear constitutional issues. For another thing--yes, I got squashed, to put it bluntly.

Canadian Heritage committee  As an individual, because it was a charter challenge, we were just referred to a person who specializes in charter challenges. I have absolutely no idea.

Canadian Heritage committee  Coming from a standpoint of disability, we're members of several disability organizations in Winnipeg and Manitoba. None of these groups that we're part of could in any way, shape, or form hire a lawyer for us and take on a challenge like this. They barely have enough money for programs they themselves run.

Canadian Heritage committee  Thank you very much for allowing my daughter and myself to appear before this committee. I believe it's important for politicians to look into the faces of the people who are affected by the laws this country passes. That's why my family paid for my daughter to come down here. We've since found we may have a little bit of a refund, which is wonderful.