Strong Voices for a National Autism Strategy
Shawn Murphy, Jim Munson, Andy Scott above
and Peter Stoffer Below photos by
Harold L Doherty, Halifax 2007
Current Petition for a National Autism Strategy
In 2003 Andy Scott, made a public call for a National Autism Strategy at a tribute to his 10 years of service as an MP at the Boyce Famers' Market, an event I attended and reported on to the members of the Family Autism Centre for Education (FACE):
"October 19 2003
Hello everyone:
Some good news for those interested in autism issues emerged last night at the Boyce Farmers' Market in Fredericton New Brunswick as Frederictonian's gathered to pay tribute to MP Andy Scott's 10 years of service as an MP on behalf of Frederictonians and as an advocate for human rights, services for the disabled, and cultural harmony. Andy announced that he would be meeting with Paul Martin in the hopes of pursuing a national Autism strategy. Although health care is primarily within provincial juridiction some health issues, such as breast cancer, HIV, etc. have been approached on a national level because of the magnitude of the issues involved. While we have all heard political promises in the past, Andy Scott has a proven track record of commitment to, and follow through on, disabilities and human rights issues. Great news.
Harold Doherty
Family Autism Centre for Education (FACE)"
Andy's comments at the Boyce Farmers' Market were also featured in a 2003 Telegraph Journal article by Tali Folkins:
"Fredericton MP Andy Scott said Saturday he has been lobbying prime- minister-to-be Paul Martin for a federal program to help young children with autism. "I desperately want a national autism strategy - and let me just assure you that Paul Martin knows it," Mr. Scott told supporters at a party celebrating his 10th anniversary as an MP in Fredericton Saturday evening.
Early work by therapists with young autistic children, Mr. Scott said, can make a big difference in their capacity to lead fulfilling lives as adults - and can save money in the long run. But the costs of starting such early intervention programs are high and should be borne directly by Ottawa rather than each individual province, he said. "We have responses and therapies and so on that I genuinely believe can work," he said. "You're going to save millions of dollars over the lifetime of an autistic adult. If you can get in at the front end, you can make enormous progress.
"But it's very expensive, and there's not a lot of stuff being added to Medicare, generally - that's why we have catastrophic drug problems and other things," he said. "In the province of New Brunswick, P.E.I., or even Quebec or Ontario it's very, very expensive. The feds are going to have to step up to the plate."
Andy did answer the call on behalf of autistic Canadians and actively pushed for a National Autism Strategy which he ultimately realized with the passage of Motion M-172. However, the motion was essentially a commitment in principle with few obligations being undertaken by our federal government but it did help put autism on our national agenda and it was Andy Scott being Andy ... getting done what could get done ... with a view to moving forward further in future. One of the specific items that the federal government did commit to in the motion was a national surveillance program, a program that would tell us how many Canadians now suffer from autism disorders. It is a commitment that has still not been honored 8 years later.
Andy Scott himself did continue the fight as demonstrated in his June 5, 2007 statement in the House of Commons:
"Autism
[Table of Contents]
Hon. Andy Scott (Fredericton, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, it is regrettable that we have seen little action by the government toward implementing a national autism strategy.
It has been more than a year since I introduced Motion No. 172. My private member's motion called for evidence based standards, innovative funding arrangements for diagnosis, treatment and research, and a national surveillance program.
The motion was adopted in good faith and supported by the government. However, it was very disappointing to see no reference to a national autism strategy in the recent budget or any discussion this spring.
Recently, I joined my colleagues from Charlottetown and Sackville—Eastern Shore and Senator Munson at a rally in Halifax that reinforced that there are families with autistic children across Canada who need the government's help.
The Conservatives should move off their default position of jurisdictional excuses, show creativity and compassion and start helping these Canadians."
Andy Scott's reference to his colleagues from Charlottetown and Sackville-Eastern Shore were references to PEI's Shawn Murphy and Nova Scotia's Peter Stoffer both of whom, along with Andy Scott and Senator Jim Munson, also worked tirelessly toward achieving a National Autism Strategy.
It is Time to Act!
