An Open Letter to Autism Canada from Medicare for Autism Now! Society

Autism Canada provided valuable support for the Liberal Medicare Coverage for the Treatment of Autism Resolution at Winnipeg in 2016.  It is now time for Autism Canada to step away completely from the failed CAPP bureaucracy and push hard for Medicare coverage for science based treatment for autism; to directly and effectively help Canadians with Autism and their Families.

Medicare for autism Now! Society

Suite No. 425, 1489 Marine Drive

West Vancouver, BC

V7T 1B8

June 15, 2017

Got questions about CAPP? Follow the money ... $$$

Dear Mr. Cleary:

Re: Defeat of parliamentary motion respecting CAPP proposal: What now?

On May 30th last, an Opposition motion calling upon the Government of Canada to provide $19 million in taxpayers’ money to fund the Canadian Autism Partnership Project (“CAPP”) for a further five years was defeated by the Liberal Party majority in the House of Commons. Good on them! 

As has been the case to date, the continuation of the CAPP would have done absolutely nothing for Canadians living with autism spectrum disorder (“ASD”) and their struggling, often emotionally and financially desperate, families. Rather, it would mean little more than another five years of a thinly-veiled make work project for under-employed NGO bureaucrats.

It is the time for Canadians to know what specifically the CAPP has done since its inception in 2015 with its initial $2 million in taxpayer funding. As AUTISM CANADA has been a participant in the CAPP, will you now make available to the public the financial statements respecting the CAPP activities? If not, why not?

In April, 2016, AUTISM CANADA released a letter that provided valuable support for a policy resolution to be debated by delegates to the Liberal Party of Canada (“LPC”) national convention, held in Winnipeg the following month. This resolution called upon the Government of Canada, inter alia, to work with the provinces and territories to ensure that science-based treatment, Applied Behavioural Analysis, for ASD was included within their respective medical services plan and, further, to provide the funding necessary to cover the cost of providing this medically necessary treatment.

It is time  for AUTISM CANADA to step completely away from the CAPP and, instead, put your efforts and resources fully behind encouraging implementation by the Government of Canada of the policy resolution which was enthusiastically and overwhelmingly passed by LPC national convention delegates just over one year ago. Will you now take the morally-right and fiscally-responsible step of joining with our organization and others in pushing for MEDICARE coverage for the science-based treatment, Applied Behavioural Analysis, for Canadians living with ASD?

Lastly, we would ask that you distribute this letter to members of AUTISM CANADA’s Provincial and Territorial Council.

Yours sincerely,

Jean Lewis, David Marley,
Director, MFAN Director, MFAN
Jean.lewis@telus.net domarley52@gmail.com
www.medicareforautismnow.org

cc. Lawrie Mawlam