44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 1, 2022 10:00AM
Madam Speaker, I appreciate very much the Bloc's tentative support of the legislation to go to committee, recognizing that this legislation empowers the minister to take direct, specific actions to protect Canadians and businesses. As the member pointed out so accurately, there is a very real cyber-threat out there. It also ensures that there can be financial penalties.
Would the member not agree that this is just one step? We have had literally tens of millions of dollars invested in cyber-threats over the years. We have had all sorts of group discussions and meetings to make sure that the government is keeping up. There are a number of stakeholders with the responsibility of fighting cyber-threats today.
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Madam Speaker, should that not just be one step? The answer is: of course it should.
I believe we said we are in favour. We are not even sure that this step will be enough, but it is a step in the right direction, and that is why we support it. It is great that there is going to be money for this, but now the real work starts.
I feel there are a lot of areas to consider. We will have to look at industrial espionage and economic espionage too. Regimes have all kinds of legal and digital techniques for acquiring competitors' data and trade secrets.
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Madam Speaker, what does the member propose for a solution? What are the immediate steps needed to be taken to deal with the pressing issue of cybersecurity attacks we are facing in the country?
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Madam Speaker, Bill C‑26 does contain some good solutions and some interesting elements.
The only thing is, we will have to look at the details and see what is next. Are we giving the minister too much power? At the same time, we may have to think twice about giving more power to the minister at the expense of Parliament when we are not sure whether the minister will fulfill his commitments. There have been promises followed by waffling in the past. There are definitely things that need to be looked at, yes, but at least this bill is motivated by good intentions. For that alone, it deserves to be supported at this stage.
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Madam Speaker, my colleague's intervention today was very interesting. He seems to know the subject very well. Looking at this legislation, we have been talking about how it has been a long-time coming, and how we would have liked to have seen this legislation before us sooner.
I wonder if, as he studied this bill, he had an opportunity to look at legislation from other countries, and if there is legislation from other countries that we could be emulating and looking at as we try to improve this bill. After second reading, I think all parties want to make sure this bill improves.
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Madam Speaker, as I said at the beginning, I was a bit critical. Unfortunately, in this country, in this Parliament and in this postnational system, it is clear that there is much hemming and hawing in far too many files.
Take a look at the general political culture of other countries like the United States. It did not take them long. Consider the example of Huawei; it took no time at all. They looked at it, concluded that it was preposterous and they put an end to it.
Why has it taken Canada years? This is still something to keep an eye on.
The European Union is also starting to take action. It is starting to move on this front by setting up institutes to monitor interference, the extraterritoriality of certain practices, and so on. There are certainly practices that should be monitored.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Saint‑Hyacinthe—Bagot, who said he wished that we could talk a bit about what is being done proactively, and that is what I intend to do.
As members know, we cannot discover new worlds until we have the courage to not see the shore. Those who know me know that I would rather talk about the “why” than the “how”. I like to clearly define what we are talking about.
Let us start with the word “security”. Security is an absence of worry. It is peace of mind, a form of safety. It is rather easy to define.
Now, what is the definition of the prefix “cyber”? Cybersecurity is a word that is used in all kinds of ways. We want to combat cybercrime with cybersecurity. We want to prevent cyberstalking. Sometimes it can be confusing. What is the meaning of the prefix “cyber” that is used everywhere?
The origin of the word will help us to understand it. It was coined after the Second World War by an American researcher named Norbert Wiener. This brilliant mathematician was hired by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT, to work on a research project on new types of weapons. More specifically, he was asked to develop missiles that could take down V‑1s and V‑2s, the unmanned German aircraft filled with explosives that were causing so much damage in England.
To that end, Professor Wiener had to model the behaviour of a pilot who knew he was being chased in order to better understand the decision-making mechanisms of humans in general. We will use the term human so as not to offend anyone. In 1948, Norbert Wiener named this field of research “cybernetics”, a new area of science that studies the mastery of machines. He was inspired by the Greek term kubernao, which means to pilot and from which the terms “government” and “governance” are also derived. It means “to steer”.
In 1949, Wiener's book was deemed one of the most important works of the 20th century. The New York Times praised it and predicted that cybernetics would be a leading branch of science in the future, which has come to pass. This book still contributes practical knowledge to today's world because one of the main concepts underlying this new theory is that of regulation. That is what we are discussing today.
With the Internet, everything becomes cyber, but the societal challenge is huge because in cyberspace we no longer know what is the cause and what is the effect. We are no longer certain who governs and who is governed. We no longer strive to determine if the chicken came before the egg or if the egg came before the chicken. In cyberspace, we cannot make sense of the chickens and the eggs.
When we talk about the Internet, we are talking about space and time. Space and time are concepts that, throughout history, have allowed us to place and understand ourselves. In philosophy it is said that nothing exists without space and time because everything is always somewhere in space and in a given moment, it is situated in time.
However, the Internet is everywhere and nowhere. In fact, when we talk about the web we picture an entanglement of threads without a centre. Humans, with their neurolinguistics, have a hard time placing themselves when there is no centre. We are always looking for the end. The Internet does not have one. In space, there is no centre and time is eternal. The Internet is always, never, and in perpetuity. It is therefore very hard to understand and associate with the cyber point of view.
Bill C‑26 is divided in two parts. In the first part, it says that it seeks to reinforce the security of the Canadian telecommunications system. Then there are indications of how it will change this and how it will change that. In the second, it says it will create the new critical cyber systems protection act to do this or that. I am summarizing the bill.
I noticed when I read Bill C‑26 that there is a lot of “how” and not a lot of “why”. What is the “why” behind Bill C‑26? In my opinion, there is just one reason why and that is to ensure that citizens can trust in the mechanism that protects them in the area of cybernetics and cyberspace.
Trust is complicated because it is not something that is easily granted. I will use the example given by my colleague from Saint‑Hyacinthe—Bagot. I know him and he is conspicuous in his absence, even though I am not allowed to say that. I do not have eyes in the back of my head.
It is pretty easy to build up trust between two individuals. However, trusting an entity, a company or a government is harder. Trust means having peace of mind, without needing supporting evidence. It is difficult to achieve in the public sphere. It is essential, however, and I think that is what Bill C-26 seeks to accomplish.
Trust begins with education and insight. Since this has been explored in speeches throughout the day, I will not dwell on it, but the geopolitical world is changing these days, and the balance of power is shifting. In addition, it is hard to know where the centre is, as I explained a little earlier.
The Canadian government's foreign policy is vague at best. It took years for the government to acknowledge that there was a problem with Huawei. It was the only Five Eyes nation that did not see the inevitable, that did not see the evidence right under its nose.
I am talking about education, but the bill does not contain any provisions for education in cybersecurity. I am talking about education in terms of privacy and facial recognition. Education would help people avoid the temptation to commit the act that we are trying to prohibit here.
We also know that we are stronger together. It is interesting to see who has already thought about these issues. One of our colleagues said that other institutions have thought about this. Yes, there is a concept known as cyber diplomacy, which involves co-operation and dialogue between nations. Moreover, to answer a question that has not been asked, which is the nature of philosophy, the Council of Europe could offer some very interesting answers and solutions in this matter.
This brings me to another question. Despite the many measures, there are quite a few things I do not see in this bill. I do not see measures that would prevent our devices from being taken over by malware, for example, or by a foreign power. Device takeover is something we recently studied at the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics. It is not the stuff of science fiction; it is actually happening now.
Also, I do not see how this bill prevents intellectual property infringement. I could name 200 other things I do not see in this bill, but I will mention just one more. I do not see how we are going to regulate what is known as the dark web. However, the bill names six organizations that will have the power to act as regulators.
However, I would like to ask the following question: Do these organizations have the necessary knowledge to do that? It is not always clear. In previous bills on other subjects, we were told, for example, about the CRTC, which was responsible for implementing some provisions. We saw that the CRTC was an outdated organization. The organizations in question now are not much better.
Cybersecurity is not something that is easy to regulate. That is why it is a good idea to look up and try to see a little further. I agree that the bill is well-intentioned, but intention without courage is meaningless.
A poet that I recently met in Montmartre told me that there is no love, only shows of love. It is the same thing here, except that we are talking about shows of courage, and so I hope that the government will show courage with Bill C‑26 and turn its intentions into action.
Let us send Bill C‑26 to committee as soon as possible.
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, seconded by the member for Don Valley East, moved that Bill S-203, An Act respecting a federal framework on autism spectrum disorder, be read the second time and referred to a committee.
He said: Madam Speaker, it is an absolute pleasure to stand here to discuss Bill S-203, which came to us from the Senate. It was unanimously passed by the Senate before it got to us here.
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As members know, I do not speak with the authority of someone who has autism. I do not speak with the authority of a scientist and the folks who do unbelievable work, many of them right here in Canada, leading the world in the science around autism. I speak as a father of an incredible young man, very familiar to people this place, named Jaden, who was 10 years old when I was first elected, and last month he turned 27. He is an energetic young man who brightens up this place when he runs around giving people high-fives, as he is so happy and excited to meet folks.
I will probably share a little more from the heart, but I will start with the technical details and touch on what the bill would do.
As was mentioned in the introduction, this is a proposed act respecting a federal framework on autism spectrum disorder, and I am not going to get into every aspect of it. The bill is just over two pages long, French and English, so it is not super long. Importantly, it leads off with a statement that “The Minister of Health must develop a federal framework on autism spectrum disorder.” It then lays out the measures to be provided, which folks can take a look at on the Internet and see the bill there.
Its real strength, I think, is in its accountability mechanisms, and towards the end it talks about the minister. It says, “Within 18 months after the day on which this Act receives royal assent, the Minister of Health must cause to be tabled in both Houses of Parliament a report setting out the federal framework on autism spectrum disorder developed under section 2.”
Further to that, later on it says:
4 (1) Within five years after the day on which the report referred to in section 3 is tabled in Parliament, the Minister of Health must cause to be tabled in each House of Parliament a report that sets out
(a) the measures from the federal framework that have been implemented and their effectiveness in supporting autistic persons, their families and their caregivers; and
(b) with respect to any measure included in the federal framework that was not implemented, the reason it has not been implemented and the timeline for its implementation.
I think there is a really strong accountability framework.
For anybody who has been working in this area over the years, there is a real impatience right now. It has been many years that we have been talking about a national strategy. However, here we are today, and I think it is an opportunity to move forward, with some of that impatience, yes, but with real hope for the future for people with autism in this country and the people who care about people with autism.
My other hope is that, in addition to whatever strategy the government comes forward with, and there is indication that the government will be coming forward with a strategy maybe even ahead of the timeline outlined in this bill, it will be both substantial and organic. I think part of the problem over the years is that we have been waiting for perfection, waiting for every box to be checked. Therefore, we have had delay after delay. We have to recognize that we are never going to have unanimity, but there is a lot of common ground. If we work together towards that common ground, we will be able to make some progress. Then, through constant consultation with autistic Canadians, scientists and the broader community of families and caregivers, we can make whatever it is that we come up with stronger and stronger all the time.
I have a few thanks to give that are worth mentioning.
First, this bill did come from the Senate, where it was supported unanimously but largely led by Senator Housakos and Senator Boehm. I offer a huge thanks of appreciation to Senator Housakos and Senator Boehm. Also, I would be remiss if I did not thank Senator Jim Munson, now retired from the Senate, who led the charge on this for years and years.
I also want to thank colleagues from all sides of the House. I have been so fortunate over the years as we have worked on these things to have support from my own colleagues. As well, today, this bill is seconded by a Liberal colleague, whom I have had the chance to work with in his previous life when he was on the provincial side of things, more behind the scenes, trying to find some common ground when we could. My experience is that we have had so many people contributing in that way.
I thank everyone who has contributed to Jaden's life: his sister Jenae, his mom Debi, his grandmothers Helen and my mom Bonnie and her husband Dale, and all of the people who have surrounded him over the years.
I am going to turn to the second half of my speech, where that common ground, in my experience, lies. It is pretty straightforward. As we have conversations with people across the country and around the world, there are some really common areas where there is a lot of work that needs to be done and is critical to achieving the best outcomes for autistic people. That is diagnosis and early help. Some people say early intervention or early therapy, whatever it might be, but a good common ground word would be help for people. There is education, employment, housing. The sixth thing that is a little more vague but we all are concerned about is this idea of what happens when we, as parents, are gone. Are we going to have people around our loved ones who are going to care for them like we cared for them? That is a critical question.
Two of the things that I have kind of focused on or learned as I have gone down this path, both through my experience with Jaden and in talking to lots of other stakeholders, particularly autistic people themselves, are the ideas of inclusion and autonomy and what those things mean. If I think about autonomy for Jaden, it is a bit tricky because Jaden has real difficulty with abstract things like danger. Jaden could not have full autonomy because he might run into a street. He loves dogs. He might see a dog and run across the street to grab the dog by the side of its cheeks and pull its face into his face so he can smell the dog's breath, feel the dog licking his face and he would not even be aware of traffic as he is running. There are all sorts of danger awareness issues.
I like to think about maximum autonomy. With Jaden, when I think about maximum autonomy, I think about the fact that too often we are impatient, trying to figure out what he wants or presuming we know what he wants. We do not take the time to really listen to him. What I have learned over time and my advice to loved ones of people with autism is to really try to get down to their level, in a sense. We should not force them into our world, but get down in their world and really take the time to try to understand what they are trying to say.
When Jaden grabs my face and says, “Ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba” super intently, he is trying to tell me something, and it is incumbent on me, as someone who cares for him, to try to understand what he is trying to tell me. That may be through his body language, his facial expressions. Sometimes his skin tone is a little different. Sometimes he is paying attention to and looking at something that is bothering him, like we forgot to grab something that is important to him, such as his iPhone or something like that. He is always trying to communicate something. It is incumbent on us to try to find out what that is if we are going to maximize people's autonomy.
I will talk about inclusion. I talked about maximizing autonomy for Jaden, but we talk about inclusion as well. Full inclusion is a really tricky concept. Not every fully inclusive situation is perfect in every scenario for every single person, but that goes for us as well. There may be things that we do not prefer or ways that we prefer things to be that are not the same as everybody else wants.
As we look at inclusion, I think about inclusion in Jaden's case. Jaden was included in a regular classroom, but he was not included in the same way as every other kid by himself in that classroom. He had an assistant with him. It is a bit different, a modification to help him mitigate some of the challenges he had, but he was in a regular classroom from kindergarten to grade 12.
That regular classroom really served him well. He surprised a lot of people. He had kids around him who really saw what he was good at and because they paid attention to what he was good at, they had a chance to realize that oftentimes his abilities surprised them. They were beyond what they might have thought. They had a chance to get to know him because they were in his classroom, and they challenged him.
For him, that was being included in a musical theatre production in grade 10. He was first in a group scene in grade 10, but then he again outperformed expectations, so in grade 11 they gave him a few more scenes. They put him in some sort of dance routines and things like that and taught him to do those things.
Then in grade 12 they did another performance, and one of the girls in the class asked if Jaden could be her partner, her husband, in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. She modified all of the routines to make it look like he was doing exactly what everyone else was doing. That is what inclusion looks like. That is what maximum inclusion looks like. It is people getting to know people and then challenging them. It is embracing their skills and abilities and helping them with their challenges, just like all of us need in this place.
We have so many people who are here to help us in that regard. Not all of us can draft perfect policies, so we have people working in the House of Commons who help us with that from time to time. There are all sorts of those things. We have translators who translate, because not all of us are perfectly bilingual. We are all challenged with something. For people with autism, it is no different from that.
I am going to close by telling a story I tell at the end of my presentations. I do presentations around the world about how we define normal.
About 10 years ago, we had a chance to do an interview. My daughter was 13 at the time and Jaden was about 17, and we had this chance to do an interview with Steve Paikin. Anyone who has done an interview with Steve Paikin, and there are a few of those people in this world, know he can ask some tough questions sometimes. He gave Jenae a heads-up that he would ask her a tough question in the interview, but he had not given her a heads-up as to what it was going to be. He asked her if she sometimes wished her brother was “normal”, like every other kid. He said, “quote, unquote”. He knows Jaden and he knows Jenae as we had done interviews with him before.
Jenae, without skipping a beat, at 13 years old said, “Well, honestly, since Jaden was diagnosed with autism before I was born, I don't exactly know what a normal brother is like, so Jaden kind of is my normal, having autism.” Steve pressed her and asked, “Do you like him just the way he is?” She responded, “Honestly, if Jaden didn't have autism or was, like, cured or something, he wouldn't be the same as Jaden is now.” At 13 years old, as a sister, she said that.
When I am talking to students and am talking about this in front of 500 introduction to psychology students, or whatever the case is, I will point out that in Jenae's case, she did not have a choice. She was born into the family and Jaden was already there, so her normal was kind of set out for her. However, the school they went to from K to 12 had a choice, and it chose to include Jaden in the classroom.
At the time, we thought that was better for Jaden, but every single kid he graduated with, every single kid who was in that school with him, would say their life was immeasurably better because Jaden was included in their class. They learned so much. When they move forward in their lives, the diversity of knowledge they have is so different.
I often like to think of my life and my normal and how we define it. It is almost like, and bear with me here, a video game character. Think of a video game character and imagine a circle as long as we can see, and that is our video game character, and we walk around and experience things in that bubble. Sometimes that is what our life is like. I am 53 years old. My life is like 53 years of walking around in that bubble. Sometimes a TV screen or a computer monitor comes into that world and shows me something from the outside, but that is my normal.
If that circle only included people just like me, first of all, my weaknesses would be the same as other people's weaknesses, so nobody would be there to compensate. Also, my strengths would not be strengths because everybody would have the same strengths. Our world, our normal, is better when we are surrounded by people who come from different backgrounds and who have different experiences. To the extent that we grasp that and include all Canadians in our experiences, our workplaces, housing, education systems and in everything else, we are all going to be better off for it.
I look forward to hopefully passing this bill and creating this better world for all Canadians.
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Madam Speaker, I extend sincere congratulations to my colleague. This has been an issue the two of us, and others, have talked about so many, many times. It gives me great pleasure to stand here and congratulate you and ask you about timelines, because I do believe our government is quite supportive. Could you elaborate a bit on your expectations on the timelines you are looking for to move forward with this framework?
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- Dec/1/22 5:58:59 p.m.
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I want to remind the member to address the question through the Speaker. She might want to use the word “him” as opposed to “you”.
The hon. member for Edmonton—Wetaskiwin.
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Madam Speaker, the bill lays out a time frame of 18 months for a report. Hopefully, we are going to move this bill forward faster than would normally be scheduled. I am hoping debate will collapse tonight and we will be able to save some time to get it to committee and then move forward even faster.
As for a timeline, my hope, and she can probably play a role in this as a member of the Liberal caucus, is to encourage the government to move forward with a national strategy, which I know is being worked on right now, as quickly as we can, so we can put all of this energy to work with this collaborative vibe we have going on in the House right now to benefit these folks who really, really can use the help.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his very moving speech.
In my personal experience, I had the good fortune of being involved with a magnificent youth hostel, and the people who helped us during the day were people on the autism spectrum. What a fantastic experience it was. It opened my eyes to the need to include them.
My question is the following. In Quebec, we have so many good initiatives. Is my colleague open to referring the bill to committee to benefit from all the good things happening for people with autism in Quebec's health and social services system?
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Madam Speaker, I totally understand the jurisdictional issues that sometimes the members of the Bloc have to grapple with, but I have had great conversations with colleagues from my hon. friend's party. We look forward to getting it to committee and hearing from experts from across the country.
The whole point of a national strategy is that we benefit from the very best evidence, from the very best experiences that folks are having not only across the country, but around the world. In a sense, we inhale that information and use it to our benefit. Then, as we gather that information, we can almost exhale it to the community for its benefit. It is almost like breathing. We constantly, with every breath, get stronger and better. That is what we want to do, and getting it to committee is a huge part of that process.
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for his ongoing advocacy for autistic Canadians. I really appreciated his comments.
I was hoping he could expand on two points that he touched on briefly. One is how we ensure this piece of legislation adheres to the principle of “nothing about us without us”. The second is the need for tangible investments to improve the services and supports for autistic Canadians, families, service providers and caregivers.
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Madam Speaker, I am loving these questions from all sides. They are hitting the nail on the head. They indicate there is a real understanding of what needs to happen.
The “nothing about us without us” conversation is something that I think we continue to get better at, but we have a long way to go. It is a challenge. There is a segment of the autistic population that is able to clearly communicate what it is like to have autism. There are other people on the autism spectrum in Canada for whom it is a bit more difficult to communicate, but I think that we are all learning that we have a long way to go to include those voices.
I have one more quick comment on that. What is very important is that we make sure we are including indigenous Canadians with autism in that conversation as well, because I think they have been under-represented in many of the conversations over time.
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Madam Speaker, as the hon. member has been very active on this file for a long time domestically and internationally, what advice can he give from seeing what is happening in other parts of the world to make this bill better and stronger?
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Madam Speaker, I will say this. As I have travelled the world and talked to people, we are doing better in Canada and North America than in many parts of the world. We have a lot to offer in terms of knowledge and we have a lot to learn in terms of knowledge, but if we get this right, we can export the knowledge that we have to other parts of the world, sharing and having conversations about how we make life better for everyone. I think this is a real opportunity for us to take a leadership role at a global level on inclusion.
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Madam Speaker, I am proud to stand here today on behalf of the residents of Don Valley East to join my colleague in supporting Bill S-203. I was very proud to be asked to join this coalition of great parliamentarians who are working hard in the Senate and in the House of Commons to really move an issue forward that is long overdue. This bill is a great example of parliamentarians coming together to do the right thing. It is a great example of the House of Commons and the Senate working together to push forward a bill that will help so many Canadians and their families.
The bill calls upon the government to develop a national framework to better support autistic individuals in Canada. It is a very ambitious bill. It asks territories, provinces, communities, stakeholders and people to come together to build this framework to better support autistic individuals.
What I really like about the bill is that there is a strong emphasis on people as they transition into adulthood. It puts forward a strategy, if it does pass this House, to better position them in life and look for ways to leverage all the great supports that are out there, some of which are working better than others in terms of coordinating and sharing best practices.
I want to take a moment to acknowledge the colleague who just spoke. He has done great work over the years. I have had the opportunity to work with the member for Edmonton—Wetaskiwin on the autism file over the years, while I was a provincial member. I want to thank him for his advocacy and his work.
I also want to thank Senator Housakos, who is the mover in the Senate of the bill, and Senator Boehm, who has helped move the bill along.
It has been interesting for me over the years. I was a school board trustee from 2003 to 2011. The first time I started to work within the autism sector was when a parent came into my office one day to meet with me. She was so taken back that the school system, the Toronto District School Board, did not have the supports in place to help her child. She specifically spoke about the ABA instructors not being available in the classroom for her child.
Back then, I knew nothing of the subject. I have a couple of family members who are autistic, but beyond that I do not know much about the politics of autism. Over the years at the school board, learning about the history of it and going to the province and learning about the history of the autism sector and its interaction with government services, it really surprised me. It was an awakening.
Back then, in 2006-07, we worked hard to put forward the first ABA demonstration classroom in Toronto, if not the entire province. The parent became an incredibly good friend of mine, but she spoke a lot about how I helped and I listened, and the director of education at the time, Dr. Chris Spence, had listened to help develop this classroom. She would thank me all the time.
I did not realize that she was actually educating me and preparing me for many years later, when I became the minister of children and youth services in Ontario and was responsible for autism services in the province.
My journey back in 2006-07 opened up the door to an incredible sector of individuals working so hard, parents and young people in that sector, who have worked so hard to support the community and provide the best possible services for children. There was no question that I could easily sense the frustration with the history of autism services and how they were delivered in Ontario.
When I first became the minister responsible for the file, there was a protest around Queen's Park. There were probably 10,000 people. There was an age cut-off. Anyone over six no longer qualified for the same services as those under six. I was put on the portfolio and I had months to develop a new plan from scratch.
I had the opportunity to work with many individuals in Ontario from the sector, people such as Bruce McIntosh and so many other parents and advocates, to look for a way to build a new program, the Ontario autism program, the OAP.
We were able to not only double the funding back then and remove the age restrictions but also invest in diagnostic tools and expand on the diagnostic locations where one could go to get a young person to meet with someone, do a diagnostic and figure out if they required services such as ABA services. We also got to invest in research.
What I learned back then was that, in the system itself, not only in Ontario but also across the country, there was a lack of coordination. Organizations were not equipped to work with each other and share information. Governments did things differently everywhere.
This national framework, I think, would help everyone to work with provinces, territories, organizations, parents and advocacy groups. It would bring people together to better position young people and any autistic individual in this country for life.
At the end of the day, this is about basic decency. This is about returning decency to decision-making and to building programs that speak to the values we have as Canadians. The fact that we can come together in the House, remove all partisanship from this issue and do what is best for people who are autistic and their families, demonstrates to me our values and our decency as Canadians.
I am hoping this bill will move through the House as quickly as possible and that we can go forward with a national framework that will better position people in this country.
I do want to also take this moment to acknowledge the “Pay Now or Pay Later” report from back in 2007. That was put forward by Jim Munson. I do not know former senator Munson well. I have heard his name many times, and I know that people speak very highly of him. In 2007, when I was back in Don Valley East working with parents, trying to build a demonstration ABA classroom, the former senator was in the Senate, building a call and an awakening across the country to do better for autistic people in our country to ensure that they have decency, the benefit of programming and the ability to live their lives at their full capacity.
Here we are today, many years later, in the House, and I am hoping that we can come forward with a strategy that will make this country a better place for everyone.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to begin by mentioning Mathieu Caron, a man from Sherbrooke whose podcast helped me better understand what it is like to be an adult living with autism. Hi Mathieu.
Today I am talking about Bill S-203, which would provide for the development of a federal framework designed to support autistic Canadians, their families and their caregivers. It directs the Minister of Health to develop a federal framework on autism spectrum disorder. The national framework must identify measures relating to research, culture and tax benefits, among other things. The minister must consult with other relevant federal ministers, civil society groups, and provincial governments and the Government of Quebec, including their ministers of health. Lastly, the bill provides for the tabling of a report in Parliament, as proposed by Quebec senator Marie‑Françoise Mégie, who is also a doctor.
The Bloc Québécois will vote in favour of the bill at second reading so that it can go to committee and be amended in such a way as to respect Quebec's jurisdiction. In my speech, I will discuss the pros and cons of this bill, share examples from Quebec and conclude with a reminder about the importance of investing in health.
To begin with, in 2019, the Minister of Health's mandate letter directed her to “[w]ork collaboratively with provinces, territories, families and stakeholders toward the creation of a national autism strategy”. On October 27, 2020, the Government of Canada announced $1.46 million for the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, or CAHS, to lead consultations on a national autism strategy. The CAHS report was released in May 2022, and the Public Health Agency of Canada hosted a national virtual conference on November 15 and 16, 2022, to inform the development of a national strategy.
As a reminder, autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition. The term refers to a range of disorders characterized by difficulties with social skills, repetitive behaviours, speech and non-verbal communication. Individuals on the autism spectrum may also have co-occurring health conditions that affect their overall physical health, including their mental health.
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, approximately one in 50 Canadian children and youth, or 2%, have autism. That number has gone up over time. In Quebec, the annual prevalence of ASD in children aged one to 17 has been growing strongly, rising from one per 1,000 in 2000-01 to more than four per 1,000 in 2014-15. This prevalence differs according to the child's sex and age. It was 7.3 and 1.8 per 1,000 among boys and girls, respectively, in 2014-15.
People on the autism spectrum need support in various areas, such as housing, employment, education and, of course, health services. Within its areas of jurisdiction, the federal government can play a role in supporting these people and their families. Autism intersects with other identities such as race, ethnicity, culture, socio-economic status, gender and sexuality, and that intersectionality creates diversity in experiences and needs that must be taken into account. People with autism do not always feel safe or meaningfully included in their communities. Such experiences can have harmful outcomes to their health, safety and quality of life. We must work harder to include them.
Stigma and discrimination can be addressed by shifting public attitudes towards autism acceptance and awareness through public campaigns, social contact, training, and education programs. The physical and emotional safety of people with autism can be fostered by promoting autism-inclusive, neuro-affirming and accessible spaces, programs and understanding in local communities. Best practices for suicide prevention can also be adapted to better meet the needs of individuals with autism at risk for suicide.
Improving the accessibility and inclusion of public transportation, recreational facilities, leisure programs, and technology can enable community participation of people with autism. Quebec and every province and territory offer autism diagnostic and support services, yet there is wide variability in what is available, which can contribute to delays and disparities. Some people with autism are particularly disadvantaged, such as those living in rural and remote areas, equity-seeking groups, and adults with autism. Research to develop valid and meaningful strengths-based diagnostic tools and improve access to diagnostic assessments for adults with autism is also suggested.
Adopting family-centred services available across the lifespan can promote the health and well-being of the entire family. It also empowers families to be involved in service delivery.
Young autistic children benefit from early access to supports and services because this is a time of significant development. Equitable access to school and community supports across a range of life domains can promote academic success, life and social skills, and improve mental health.
Implementing health and education transition policies and practices may help manage and prevent mental and physical health challenges and promote better adult outcomes.
However, research about autism in adulthood is limited. More than half of Canadians with autism rely on disability benefits.
Academic supports and accommodations available in post-secondary institutions do not always meet the diverse range of autistic students' needs and abilities, which means that they are still not enrolling to the same extent as non-autistic and other disabled students.
Some ways to create more inclusive workplaces, which is also important, and to improve employment outcomes can involve providing autism-inclusive supports and accommodations, giving access to supported work experience and internships, addressing benefit disincentives, and promoting workplace autism acceptance. Mr. Caron spoke at length about this with me.
With the limited availability of affordable housing in many regions, autism-inclusive housing is in even shorter supply across Canada, and the need will only grow.
Second, with its generous social safety net, Quebec already offers a wide range of services for individuals with autism. The Bloc Québécois hopes that the strategy will recognize these efforts, and that Quebec will not be penalized for its generous social benefits.
We also have some excellent examples in Quebec. Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal offers a program called “dance for well-being”. This great model contributes to the well-being of people living with autism spectrum disorder, their families and caregivers through the benefits of dance.
Quebec offers a wide range of services for people with a physical or intellectual disability or an autism spectrum disorder to develop, maintain and compensate for their disabilities and promote their autonomy and social participation. These services are also intended for family and loved ones. They are divided into three categories. One category is local services that are often offered in the individual's living environments, such as the home, school or workplace. They aim to compensate for functional disabilities and reduce the risk of harm to ensure the safety of activities related to lifestyle. Examples include home support services, residential services, support for meaningful and rewarding activities, and support services for family and friends.
I would like to highlight the work that has been done for the past 45 years by the Fédération québécoise de l'autisme, a provincial group of organizations and individuals who are concerned about the interests of people with autism, their families and friends. This federation defends their rights, supports community life, informs and instructs Quebeckers on issues related to autism, and participates in research.
There are 16 regional autism associations in Quebec. Associate members include other associations, early childhood centres, rehabilitation centres, school boards, schools, hospitals and private clinics. Everyone works together. The regional autism associations are community organizations primarily made up of parents, and their shared mission is to promote and defend the rights and interests of people with autism in order to enable them to lead a dignified life and achieve the greatest degree of social autonomy possible.
Third, I certainly must mention the fact that the Bloc Québécois is adamant that delivery of health services is not a federal jurisdiction. It refuses to allow the federal government to impose its standards and ways of doing things on Quebec and the provinces.
As such, the Bloc Québécois wants to emphasize that one component of the national strategy, timely and equitable access to screening and diagnosis for autism spectrum disorder, is not under federal jurisdiction. When it comes to delivering health care services, the best thing the federal government can do is increase health transfers. That is why the Bloc Québécois will seek to amend Bill S‑203 to ensure that it respects Quebec's and the provinces' areas of jurisdiction.
In closing, I would be remiss if I did not mention the federal, provincial and Quebec health ministers' meeting, which took place from November 7 to 9, 2022, and ended inconclusively. The only solution is higher transfers.
The Bloc Québécois supports Quebec and the provinces' unified demand that the federal government raise health transfers from 22% to 35%. This permanent increase is what will help people living with autism spectrum disorder. Again, only a 35% contribution from the feds will enable people to live with autism spectrum disorder.
In closing, I thank the Granby association for intellectual disabilities and autism. I had the opportunity to visit this organization recently, and the people there are doing absolutely terrific work. Quebec has plenty of wonderful organizations like this one. I hope the federal government will provide health transfers so that we in Quebec can continue to help them and help people with autism.
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