Stephen Harper Fails to Honor National Autism Strategy Commitment

On Friday long time autism champion and Charlottetown MP Shawn Murphy questioned federal Conservative Health Minister, Leona Aglukkaq, below left, on the Harper government's failure to honor its commitment to convene a meeting of the provincial health ministers with the objective of developing a national strategy on the treatment and support of Canadians with autism.

Instead of directly answering the question Health Minister Aglukkaq dissembled and did not acknowledge either the commitment to convene a meeting of Canada's health ministers to develop a national autism strategy or the Harper government's failure to honor that commitment.

It is time that politicians like Stephen Harper and Leona Aglukkaq started earning the designation "Honourable" that comes with their positions and start honoring their commitment to autistic Canadians and their families to convene a meeting of provincial health ministers and develop a real national autism strategy to provide for treatment and support for autistic Canadian children and adults.

Please Prime Minister Harper, and Health Minister Aglukkaq, honor your commitment to autistic Canadians and their families.

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Health

40th PARLIAMENT, 2nd SESSION

EDITED HANSARD • NUMBER 020

Friday, February 27, 2009

Health

Hon. Shawn Murphy (Charlottetown, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, on December 5, 2006, every member of the House, including the Prime Minister, supported Motion No. 172. The motion directed the minister of health to convene a meeting of the provincial health ministers with the objective of developing a national strategy on the treatment and support of Canadians with autism. Unfortunately, the previous minister of health and the present Minister of Health have totally ignored this motion.

My question is for the present Minister of Health. This is a very important question and Canadians are looking for an answer. How long does the government intend to ignore Canadian families dealing with autism?

Hon. Leona Aglukkaq (Minister of Health, CPC):

Mr. Speaker, I recognize that autism is an important health and social issue that represents challenges to many Canadian families. I can assure the House that the government is showing leadership by focusing attention on building the autism evidence base that future actions by our partners will be well informed.

We are delivering results. In 2007 we announced the funding for a chair of autism research and innovation at Simon Fraser University and, over the last seven years, more than $27 million have been spent on related research by CIHR.

autism