Election
2004 Vote for Equality - Home
> Issues > Party Policy Platforms
- A Disability Analysis
Disability Analysis of
Federal Party Policy Platforms
Canadian
Association of Community Living
Liberal
Policy Platform
NDP Policy Platform
Conservative
Policy Platform
Bloc Québécois Platform
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LIBERAL
PARTY OF CANADA
Leader:
The Right Hon. Paul Martin
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LIBERAL POLICY
PLATFORM
Moving
Canada Forward: The Paul Martin Plan for Getting Things Done
http://www.liberal.ca/platform_en.pdf
(PDF)
- A commitment
to enable persons with disabilities to live in their communities.
- $1 billion
investment over five years to support family caregivers.
- A commitment
to double the amount of medical and disability related expenses
that can be claimed by a caregiver on behalf of a dependent relative
to $10,000.
- A commitment
to work with the provinces and stakeholder groups to develop a comprehensive
strategy to increase support for "informal" caregivers
- spouses, children and close relatives and friends. This strategy
would include various models of delivery.
- Acknowledges
families' needs: respite - temporary breaks from the emotional and
physical exhaustion of round-the-clock responsibility.
Additionally,
the last federal budget committed:
- A new deduction
for disability support-related expenses for employment or education
purposes signals a trend towards improving tax fairness for persons
with disabilities and their families.
- A $30 million
investment in Federal Provincial and Territorial Labour Market Agreements
for Persons with Disabilities and a commitment to act as a model
employer.
- A new up-front
grant of up to $2000 for persons with disabilities increasing opportunities
for post-secondary education.
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NEW
DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF CANADA
Leader:
Mr. Jack
Layton
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NEW DEMOCRATIC
PARTY POLICY PLATFORM
Platform
2004
http://www.ndp.ca/uploaded/20040527091443_Fed.NDP.Platform.eng.sm.pdf
(PDF)
- Implementing
public or non-profit-based home care throughout Canada, based on
the patient per year than community-based home care, which plans
for an aging population while relieving the burden on families,
especially on women, who disproportionately care for elderly relatives.
- Improving access
to the CPP/QPP for women by expanding the current "drop-out"
provision for child care to include other unpaid care, such as that
for senior family members.
- Removing the
GST from family essentials, including medical equipment.
- Working with
the provincial and territorial governments to set up a single income
support mechanism for persons with disabilities, including a system
of national disability supports.
- Developing
a labour market strategy for persons with disabilities that includes
a plan for increased participation in the federal government workforce
and expanded measures to help other employers to make workplaces
accessible and accommodate persons with disabilities.
- Expanding the
Special Opportunities Grant Program to recognize the extra costs
associated with one's disability and the costs of accommodations
for training, postsecondary education and job opportunities.
- Making the
disability tax credit and medical expenses tax credit fully refundable.
- Establishing
an independent commissioner who reports directly to Parliament to
monitor federal departments' compliance to all policies for persons
with disabilities and who advises ministers about the effects on
persons with disabilities of upcoming legislation or regulations.
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CONSERVATIVE
PARTY OF CANADA
Leader:
Mr.
Stephen Harper
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CONSERVATIVE
POLICY PLATFORM
Demanding
Better
http://www.conservative.ca/platform/e.pdf
(PDF)
The Conservative
Party has not yet released a specific policy platform outlining commitments
to persons with disabilities and their families. They have announced
a commitment to family caregivers:
- A commitment
to double the size of the caregivers' tax credit to cover $7,000
in allowable expenses.
We have encouraged
the Conservative Party of Canada to use the leaders' debates to highlight
their commitments to persons with disabilities and their families
and to let Canadians know where they stand on these issues.
BLOC QUÉBÉCOIS
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BLOC
QUÉBÉCOIS
Leader: Mr. Gilles Duceppe
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The Bloc Québécois
has not yet released a specific policy platform outlining commitments
to persons with disabilities and their families.
- Their platform
does mention the need to make television and radio accessible to
people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
We have encouraged
the Bloc Quebecois to use the leaders' debate to highlight their commitments
to persons with disabilities and their families and to let Canadians
know where they stand on these issues.
Source:
Canadian Association
of Community Living
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