UPDATE: NDP Candidate Mark Ireland who was present at the forum has twice CONFIRMED in a message below that James Moore stated that autism is not a disability. Mr. Ireland also confirmed that Moore made the statement in a twitter discussion with Ben Brisebois that I have posted on Facing Autism in NB.
Conservative candidate James Moore was asked at Riverside Secondary All Candidates Meeting in the BC riding of Port Moody–Westwood–Port Coquitlam whether he would support legislation to amend the Canada Health Act to include autism treatment (ABA/IBI) under Medicare.
"No, autism is not a disability and The Canada Health Act is not for Special interest Groups."
Mr. Moore obviously knows nothing about autism disorders when he states that autism is not a disability. He might want to visit web sites of agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee in the US. Or he could talk to officials at the Canada Revenue Agency who do consider autism a disability for Disability Tax Credit pruposes and specifically mention autism at page 7 of document RC4064(E) Rev. 10 Medical and Disability-Related Information.
As to why James Moore would define persons with autism as a special interest group or why the Canada Health act does not apply to them his brief dismissal of this serious issue provides no illumination.
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