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Another
Insult to Canadians with Disabilities -
Finance Minister John Manley exits from the Commons to avoid vote on proposed
changes to the Disability Tax Credit |
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NEW
DEMOCRATS DECRY ANOTHER INSULT FOR DISABLED OTTAWA - New Democrat Members of Parliament this week called for the resignation of Finance Minister John Manley after he made it clear he will ignore a Commons resolutions and continues to harass Canadians with disabilities. "It is undemocratic for this Finance Minister to go against the wishes of Parliament and the wishes of Canadians to get rid of a policy that targets Canadians with disabilities," New Democrat MP Yvon Godin said. Last week in a unanimous vote, all MPs supported an NDP motion that the government withdraws proposed changes to the disabilities tax credit. Moments before the vote, Mr. Manley chose to leave the Commons to avoid the vote. "It is totally unacceptable for the Finance Minister to say that he needs to consult on this matter further," Wendy Lill, NDP critic on disability issues, said. “When confronted with the facts about how this inhumane policy was attacking Canadians already struggling with difficult circumstances, Members of Parliament did the right thing. Now one lonely Liberal leadership candidate wants to stop the whole thing. " Last year, the Canadian Customs and Revenue Agency sent letters to 106,000 Canadians demanding they apply for their disability tax credit. More than 45,000 have lost the tax credit as a result. Many of the 5 million Canadians with disabilities are already suffering from inadequate income support and rehabilitation programs and rely on the disability tax credit. This credit is a modest support worth a maximum of $989 per individual per year.
“The CCRA (Canadian Customs and Revenue Agency) is at it again,” she said. “First it was going after people with disabilities and now it is targeting low income parents who get the child tax benefit.” She said a questionnaire sent out to thousands of parents is an invasion of privacy and insulting. “The CCRA has no right to ask how a parent has ‘provided guidance and companionship’ or ask ‘have you regularly encouraged good health habits with your child?’” Ms. Davies said. “This is a tax agency, for God's sake.”
The Subcommittee on
the Status of Persons with Disabilities was established for the 2nd Session
of the 37th Parliament on 5 November 2002. Two members were named to the
Subcommittee for the first time. The Subcommittee on the Status of Persons with Disabilities had its first meeting on 20 November 2002. The Members elected Carolyn Bennett (St. Paul's, Lib) as the Chair. The Subcommittee also passed a motion at this meeting to resume its study of the Canada Pension Plan Disability program. The Subcommittee expects to begin its on-line consultation with Canadians concerning the CPP Disability program soon and will provide more details as they become available. For further information, please visit http://www.parl.gc.ca/disability.
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Page last updated November 29, 2002 |
