Hon. Leo Housakos (Acting Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I ask for leave that the bill be deemed read a third time and passed with consent of the chamber.

Hon. Leo Housakos (Acting Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I ask for leave that the bill be deemed read a third time and passed by this chamber.

Hon. Tony Loffreda: Honourable senators, today I rise as the critic for Bill S-203, An Act respecting a federal framework on autism spectrum disorder. I can assure you that I support Senator Housakos’ bill and hope it will be passed. I would like to thank both Senator Housakos and Senator Boehm for their speeches last week. I think that, together, they showed us why we are in urgent need of a federal framework.

I’m here today as an ally of the community of people with autism spectrum disorder, not as a caregiver or person with direct, personal experience with people with autism. I know some of you have that kind of experience, and I hope we’ll have a chance to hear from you.

[English]

Colleagues, as Senator Housakos pointed out last week, this bill would empower the Minister of Health to develop a federal framework on autism spectrum disorder in consultation with other cabinet ministers, representatives from provincial and territorial governments and relevant stakeholders from the medical, research and advocacy communities.

The bill requires that the framework address six key areas. They are: financial support for autistic persons and their families, including the establishment or expansion of tax benefits as required; support for caregivers of autistic persons; a national research network to promote research and improve data collection on autism spectrum disorder; a national public awareness campaign to enhance knowledge and understanding about autism spectrum disorder; an online resource on best practices to support autistic persons, their families and their caregivers; and mechanisms to ensure accountability in the use of federal funds for autistic persons and their families.

As you can see, the bill provides the minister with a roadmap on what the framework should include and is broad enough to allow for flexibility and originality. It is, by no means, too prescriptive. The bill also requires that the minister table the federal framework in both houses of Parliament within 18 months after the day on which S-203 receives Royal Assent.

I am also happy to see that the bill includes a five-year ministerial review. Upon completion of this review, the minister must table a report that sets out the measures from the framework that have been implemented, those that have yet to be implemented, and their effectiveness in supporting autistic persons, their families and caregivers.

As I’ve often said, you can’t improve what you don’t measure. If you collect data and if you assess performance, you are in a much better position to manage results, properly evaluate outcomes, and make appropriate changes and improvements moving forward.

As you know, there’s been talk about establishing a national autism strategy for many years. There’s been meetings. There’s been funding. There’s been proposals and blueprints. And yet, here we are today debating a bill that would legislate the creation of a federal framework on ASD.

Two months ago, the Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorder Alliance—CASDA, held its 7th Annual Canadian Autism Leadership Summit during which they reiterated their strong desire for the implementation of a strategy that would ensure that all autistic people living in Canada have full and equal access to the resources they require to achieve their full potential. As Senator Boehm pointed out, a national strategy could be created within the framework proposed in S-203.

As it was mentioned last week, there are many ASD advocates in this chamber. I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the work of our former colleague Senator Munson.

As for me, my involvement with the autistic community goes back more than 10 years, more than a decade ago, and it all started when our friend and colleague Senator Housakos introduced me to Giant Steps.

As he alluded to in his speech, for more than 40 years, Giant Steps has been offering second-to-none educational services to students aged 4 to 21 years old with autism spectrum disorders. I always refer to it as the Harvard of autism schools in Canada. It is truly a global leader in its field.

More than a decade ago, the school initially reached out to me in my capacity as a senior executive at RBC and because of my community involvement and philanthropic activities. At the time, most banking institutions were hesitant to invest in schools. It was always more difficult to secure financing. They and we wanted to change that. I can proudly say there has been considerable improvement on that front.

I was immediately touched by the struggles and hardships of families affected by ASD, the limited resources and the financial gaps in offering adequate services that are highly individualized, intensive and holistic.

One meeting — that’s all it took for me to be fully onboard and committed to helping Giant Steps raise funds so it could properly expand its services and resources, share and adopt best practices, and increase awareness. For more than 10 years, and up until my appointment to the Senate, I’ve helped raised significant funds for Giant Steps.

I’m also happy to report, as mentioned by Senator Housakos last week, that Giant Steps also recently secured a $15-million grant from the Government of Québec and raised millions of dollars for a new, 67,000 square foot, cutting-edge facility in Montreal.

The Giant Steps Autism Centre will include a specialized school, a training centre for adults, a community resource centre and a research hub, all dedicated to the lifespan needs of people with autism. It has been designed to take into consideration the many perceptual differences and sensory challenges often facing people with autism.

One of the last fundraising events I chaired for the school was in June 2018 when I served as honorary president of the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada gala. “The Grand Evening,” as we call it, raised funds for two groups dedicated to autism: Giant Steps and the Véro & Louis Foundation.

[Translation]

For those who may not be familiar with the Véro & Louis Foundation, it was founded in 2016 to advocate for long-term housing for adults with autism. The foundation’s ultimate goal is to create homes for people with autism who are 21 years of age and older, with or without intellectual disabilities. The first house opened last spring in Varennes, a suburb of Montreal. The foundation is aiming high and hopes to build more such homes.

A multidisciplinary team of experts left nothing to chance in the design and construction of the house. Everything was carefully thought out. In an article published on June 10 in La Presse, Laila Maalouf wrote, and I quote:

In this brand new building surrounded by green space and birdsong, next to newly built condos, everything exudes calm and serenity. The environment is subdued, specially designed to avoid any sensory stimulation that would disturb the well-being of the residents. Absolutely everything, down to the smallest detail, has been thought out and purposely designed with that in mind. The lighting is soft; the corners are rounded; the mirrors in the bathrooms can be covered up for those who prefer not to see their reflection; the white paint on the walls is combined with light-coloured wood to create a soothing effect . . . Even the stainless-steel countertops in the kitchen are matte to avoid any reverberation.

I felt the need to quote this excerpt from La Presse because it clearly shows the importance of research and best practices, two things that Bill S-203 seeks to do by establishing a national framework.

[English]

In many ways, I feel like knowledge and understanding will lead to awareness and acceptance. If we understand the difficulties and uniqueness of autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, we will have greater awareness and are in a better position to accept and embrace those differences — judgment free. One crucial piece of Bill S-203 is just that: a national public awareness campaign.

Before I wrap up, I want to share a story from Italy that goes to the heart of what this bill seeks to achieve: namely, the development and implementation of a federal framework that could provide autistic Canadians with assistance with respect to employment. Time and time again, we hear that individuals with ASD are often left to fend for themselves once they reach adulthood. Housing and employment are major barriers for many. The Véro & Louis Foundation is trying to fill that void by offering a home for autistic adults, but I want to briefly mention a wonderful success story from Milan, Italy, called PizzAut – not to be confused with Pizza Hut.

PizzAut is a new Italian pizzeria run by young adults with autism. It is a laboratory for social inclusion and a non-profit organization that offers work, training and, above all, dignity to people with autism. Each autistic person receives personalized training to become a pizza chef or a waiter. Each workspace and tool has been designed to help support them in their daily work. Taking orders, for example, could be a daunting task for some. Samsung stepped in and created the first app that allows autistic people to literally manage a restaurant. Everything was designed and engineered with the autistic person in mind. They were at the heart of its development. Autistic waiters get to work in a completely independent way.

What else could we ask for? We get to eat good pizza while doing some good, promoting diversity, embracing inclusiveness, creating a feeling of community and giving these young adults a sense of accomplishment and belonging — a sense of purpose. A sense of purpose is what we all want in life, and they deserve that too.

Let’s not forget to mention that PizzAut has been a major hit since it opened its doors last spring. There’s already talk about expanding the model, and why not? It’s a brilliant idea: It’s noble, inclusive and empowering. In fact, the city of Milan is honouring PizzAut today, December 7, with a certificate of Civic Merit as part of its Ambrogini d’Oro awards.

Over the years, I’ve met with board members of autistic schools, educators, parents closely affected by autism and other stakeholders to explore future employment possibilities for the autism community. I know there is some interest, and I’ve also met with potential investors looking into replicating the PizzAut model in Canada. In fact, they were the ones who approached me. That’s how I became aware of the model. We all know how difficult it is for adults on the spectrum to secure employment in adulthood, so this is great news, and I see much potential for this initiative.

It’s also worth pointing out that the finance and labour committee of the Italian Senate adopted an amendment to its tax law last week, endorsed by all parties, that would provide important tax and contribution reductions for innovative companies and start-ups that hire workers with autism spectrum disorder. This sends a strong signal to the business community that embracing diversity and giving ASD individuals employment opportunities will be rewarded. The amendment is not law yet but, as I understand it, success is just around the corner.

The big challenge is providing work for those with autism, and I was advised that people from PizzAut came looking for advice, asking if there was something we could do in the Senate to create a law similar to what they have in other countries — to encourage Canadian companies to hire those with ASD and to create a sense of community. We need a sense of community for the people who have autism and for adults especially — because the schools are great, but once they get to a certain age, they need more. This is what we have to create. I am confident that they will export that model elsewhere, and we will eventually have both purpose and work for adults with autism.

Honourable senators, as I conclude, I want to remind everyone that ASD affects 1 in 66 children and youth in Canada. We also know that a person with ASD may find it difficult to connect or interact with other people for a multitude of reasons. They could have difficulty communicating with others, find social situations intolerable or simply show little or no interest in a plethora of activities, subjects and hobbies. In my humble opinion, Bill S-203 can offer a glimpse of hope and encouragement to the ASD community, and particularly to parents and caregivers who need that hope and encouragement.

Last week, Senator Boehm reminded us that, like other parents of autistic individuals, he worries about the future and who will advocate for his son. I want to reassure you, Senator Boehm, and thank you and Senator Housakos for introducing the bill. I want to reassure you, senators, and the entire ASD community of my unending support and commitment. I will continue to advocate for greater resources, services and funding for the autistic community.

I hope our colleagues will join us on this quest, and I hope this bill can be sent to committee before the holidays so it can be given the attention it deserves. I have no doubt that the many stakeholders will welcome the opportunity to offer some insight on this bill, which is very important. Canada’s ASD community is relying on us all to get this done, to get it done right and to get it done soon. Thank you.

Hon. Leo Housakos (Acting Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I rise on Bill S-2, An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts.

Colleagues, I will be brief. At the end of the day, when I look at legislation like this, for example, which is an exact piece of legislation we dealt with in the previous Parliament, nothing has changed. We had a Committee of the Whole that addressed this issue.

Hon. Leo Housakos (Acting Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate, and I’ll begin, Senator Gold, by offering my sincere congratulations because I know you just received a new parliamentary secretary representing you over on the other side of the house, the lower chamber.

Colleagues, for those of you who don’t know, on Friday the Prime Minister appointed Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen as the parliamentary secretary to Senator Gold. Leader, is this an entirely new creation? There has never been a parliamentary secretary, to my knowledge, stylized this way, and it appears to again acknowledge the fact that the Trudeau government has sort of raised their hands in the air, not knowing what to do with this new reformed Senate.

The truth of the matter is, Senator Gold, we talk about independence, yet never before have we seen this type of relationship between a government representative/government leader and a parliamentary secretary.

What exactly is MP Gerretsen’s responsibility under his new position? Wouldn’t it have been a lot easier, government leader, if you were allowed to represent this august chamber in the governing national caucus? Wouldn’t it have been even easier if you were allowed to take your rightful place as a member of the Privy Council sitting at the cabinet table so you can give us timely answers to our questions?

Senator Housakos: Thank you, Your Honour.

On the Order:

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Harder, P.C., seconded by the Honourable Senator Bellemare, for the second reading of Bill S-2, An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts.