[FEAT BC Admin]

In this topic area, discussion is about the fight to secure Government funding for your A.B.A. treatment program. It is also the place to talk about your thoughts and ideas about how to establish new Government programs specifically designed for autism treatment.

This is the place to hear input from parents who have fought for funding and won, as well as those who have fought for funding and would like to share their horror stories. There is a tendency to not share success stories once funding is secured. Please fight that tendency. By sharing our experience, we all become stronger.

 

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—-By FEAT BC (Freeman) on Saturday, January 3, 1998 – 03:16 pm:

-Hi everyone!

These are some things to think about in your dealings with government to help you to obtain support for your child’s Autism Treatment Program. These are my personal opinions and do not represent those of FEAT of BC or any other organization.

Many of these observations are based on my personal experiences (and I believe it poetic justice to help every parent avoid being systematically abused by their social worker the way I was).

Good luck to everyone! (Let’s all pull back the curtain on the Wizard of OZ).

Sabrina

 

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How To Fight for Funding for Autism Treatment and Appropriate School Placement

1. Establish a Paper Trail

Always take notes, documenting major points of all conversations with government and school officials.

This includes casual, in person conversations with social workers as well as ALL telephone conversations. All key points of discussion must be written down in your notes including the date and time of the discussion. This includes what was agreed upon, as well as what was not agreed upon.

Then the notes should be used to write a letter recapping the substance and content of the conversation. This letter must then be mailed or faxed to the person with whom you had the conversation. In addition, a copy must be kept in your file (see section on the icci game).

Why?

It is important to formalize the interaction between you and Government officials. In addition, everyone is put on notice that they must closely adhere to their responsibilities, regulations and laws., Furthermore, they must then consider the paper trail you have created. This lets everyone know that the interaction can become public and that any abuses of power and authority can be formally appealed and/or publicized.

In other words, they canit use discretion unfairly under the cloak of secrecy.

2. Submit all Requests in Writing

All your requests for your child must be submitted formally in writing with a copy included in your file and a copy, if necessary, sent to their immediate superiors.

3. Set Deadlines for Action

All formal requests for action must have a reasonable deadline set for that action. If no action or response is received by the deadline you have set (two weeks for example), then you will interpret the lack of response as a formal declination (a formal NO) of your requests.

Why Set Deadlines?

When bureaucrats do not want to do something, they will stall by ignoring you and your request. (As an aside, in the study of the bureaucracy, this is known as ithe power to do nothingi). They can string you along for years. When you have determined that the person you are interacting with is not inclined to help you or is not dealing in good faith, then you must take the initiative and formally label his/her behavior as obstructionist and de facto as a declination (a NO to your requests). This allows you to move to the next level of authority on your timetable to present your case. This takes the power to do nothing away from the bureaucrat with whom you are dealing. Simple stated, a bureaucrat who stalls and does nothing becomes irrelevant (use your invisible spray) and you move on to the next level of authority.

How to icci?

A cc. is a copy of your letter sent to someone other than the person you are writing. You put the cc. at the bottom left-hand corner of your letter followed by 2 spaces and the name of the person or people to whom you want to send a copy of the letter.

Who to icci to?

Sometimes it is best not to icci at all, especially in the early stages of the relationship (for example, your first letter to a social worker requesting assistance). This gives them the opportunity to do the right thing and does not present you as an overly combative person. When you start to run into problems, it is a good idea to send the icci to the 2 immediate superiors of the person you are having problems with. We do not recommend icciing all the way up the chain of command, since you want to give them a chance to solve the problem at the local level.

Why send a icci copy?

The reason for playing the icci game is that you want your interactions with the official to be known to his superior and possibly to other organizations so that 1) their action or inaction becomes a matter of record and 2) the individual knows he is being monitored. This helps minimize abuses of power and authority and helps encourage the official to meet their obligations and do the right thing.

What is the sequence of letters?

Find out the chain of command of the particular bureaucracy you are battling.

TOP

Minister
Deputy Minister
Children’s Ministry’s local region chain of command, all the way down to the District Supervisor
and Social Worker
Contacts can be found at the government directory: http://www.dir.gov.bc.ca/

BOTTOM

Start at the bottom and climb. At the Regional Operating Officer (ROO) level (once you have been declined) you have to decide whether to jump up to the top, threaten and then go to the media, or both. A word of wisdom: DO NOT BLUFF. If you are not willing to go all the way, they will ‘smell’ this. You must be prepared to take it right up to the Minister and beyond.

Documentation from Experts:

In your arsenal to fight for your child, it is wise to get his/her pediatrician and/or psychiatrist to write a letter on your childis behalf. In addition, any other experts who know your child and are sympathetic to what you are trying to do should become involved.

When to hire a lawyer?

If money is not an issue, you can hire a lawyer when you get to the area manager level. Make sure that you have a paper trail so the lawyer has something to work with. Also, have the lawyer give F.E.A.T. of B.C. a call, and we will send him/her information that will help.

If money is an issue (as it is for most of us running autism treatment programs), you might want to hire a lawyer once you have been turned down by the Minister.

How to hire a lawyer?

The type of lawyer needed is a litigator, or trial lawyer. S/he does not need to be an expert in autism, or special needs; s/he needs to be experienced in suing governments, and enjoys being in court. Word of mouth is a good way to find a lawyer.

Topic

[Andrew Kavchak]

And another similar Bill in the House of Commons…
_________________
House of Commons
Hansard, Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Routine Proceedings

World Autism Awareness Day Act

Hon. Shawn Murphy (Charlottetown, Lib.)
moved that Bill S-210, An Act respecting World Autism Awareness Day, be read the first time.

He said: Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise in the House today to sponsor the private member's bill, an act respecting World Autism Awareness Day, which was introduced in the Senate by the Hon. Senator Jim Munson.

In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly recognized the second day of April in every year as World Autism Awareness Day. With 1 in every 165 Canadian families now being affected by autism spectrum disorder, I believe now it is imperative and timely that the federal government follow the United Nations and declare April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day in Canada.

I encourage my hon. colleagues in the House to support this very important bill.

(Motion agreed to and bill read the first time)

* * *

[Andrew Kavchak]

Hi Folks,
Well, on May 15 I contacted the committee secretariat and asked them for a copy of the report. Today they sent it to me. Hold on to your hat folks, this says a lot…
________________________________
Thursday, May 14, 2009 Le jeudi 14 mai 2009

The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology has the honour to present its

SEVENTH REPORT

Your committee, to which was referred Bill S-210, An Act respecting World Autism Awareness Day, has, in obedience to its order of reference of March 3, 2009, examined the said Bill and now reports the same without amendment.

Respectfully submitted,

ART EGGLETON, P.C./C.P.
Chair

[Andrew Kavchak]

A report was tabled. I wonder what it says.

_______________
Senate
Thursday, May 14, 2009.

Routine Proceedings

World Autism Awareness Day Bill

Seventh Report of Social Affairs, Science and Technology Committee Presented

Hon. Art Eggleton, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, presented the following report:

Thursday, May 14, 2009

The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology has the honour to present its

SEVENTH REPORT

Your committee, to which was referred Bill S-210, An Act respecting World Autism Awareness Day, has, in obedience to its order of reference of March 3, 2009, examined the said Bill and now reports the same without amendment.

Respectfully submitted,

ART EGGLETON
Chair

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, when shall this bill be read the third time?

(On motion of Senator Eggleton, bill placed on the Orders of the Day for third reading at the next sitting of the Senate.)
______________________________

[Andrew Kavchak]

Hi Barb,
I totally agree with you.
Andrew

[Barbara Rodrigues]

Hi Andrew:

Thanks for the posting. I totally agree with you – I was outraged by the remark "we do not know the effective treatments…." WHAT????? <sigh> Unbelievable.

Reading your second email – I am also mystified how someone can say that if the child didn't recover then ABA didn't work! What????? Okay – my son has not recovered -not even close – BUT without the use of ABA he would no longer be at home -he would still be in diapers – he wouldn't be able to use the computer -to read – to go on outings – to tell us what he wants to eat/drink/etc. – to dress himself – I could go on on. Yes, he is still severely affected by his autism but ABA has given him and us a life – he can do things independantly – while puberty has been hard – I can't imagine without the use of ABA what it would be like – Actually yes I can – and I would no longer be able to deal with him at home and he would be in some home somewhere -drugged up and drooling ……UGH! Sorry for the rant but it just appalls me that these people can't/won't support the science! IF ABA recovers children great – but it also provides those that don't recover with skills and a life that they would never have without ABA. Again don't get me wrong – I am all for research and would be the first one in line for the 'magic pill to rid my son of his autism' but don't discount the treatment that we have or say it doesn't work.

Anyway, thanks for keeping us updated.
Barbara

[Andrew Kavchak]

Hi again Folks,

You know, reading and thinking about the nonsense that Colin Carrie stated on the record in the House of Commons yesterday is really heartbreaking. How can someone with a child on the spectrum who is an associate of the Minister of Health actually go on the record as saying "We do not know the effective treatments and interventions."?

It is interesting that he stated that in the House of Commons on May 12, 2009. Just three days before the media was reporting (see below) the latest results of a study describing "recovery" from autism. Not just treatment, but "recovery". The study results were presented at a conference in Chicago.

But is this really new? No!

It turns out that the professor appeard in Ottawa speaking about the same phenomenon a few years ago (see below). And was that really something new? Perhaps for the folks at Autism Speaks the fact that IBI works may constitute a "breakthrough", but for most of us who researched this field following the diagnosis of our children there is nothing new here at all. As you know, Lovaas documented this over two decades ago. Good Lord! Why do so many adopt "wilful blindness" as their life motto? If politicians like Carrie and Lake, etc. wish to live in denial of the evidence around them, that's their right. But to go on the record in the House of Commons and say in one breath that the government recognizes autism as a serious health issue and then a few breaths later to completely dismiss and ignore common knowledge that we have all just recently been reminded of in the media is….what? Wicked? Mean-spirited? Ignorant? Or is this perhaps symptomatic of some other possible (mental) problem? What do you think is the best description?

Colin Carrie came to some of the demonstrations that I organized on Parliament Hill when he was in opposition. After the election in which his party became the Government I had a chance to meet with him in his new big office and we talked about ABA/IBI, etc. He knows about it. He asked me to forward more information to him, which I did. Never heard from him again.

I don't know how Mike Lake and Colin Carrie can look at themselves in the mirror, but then again, I remember an article that I saw in the newspaper around 1997. It was about the result of a study of politicians in the UK and their mental characteristics. It concluded that the typical politicians have the ability to lie to people without any feelings of remorse. I remember cutting it out and hanging it on my wall at the office, but then I threw it away when I changed jobs and moved offices. I kind of regret that now. That study said a lot.
________________
From CTV.ca

Research suggests some kids can recover from autism

Updated Sat. May. 9 2009 11:59 AM ET

The Associated Press

CHICAGO — Leo Lytel was diagnosed with autism as a toddler. But by age nine he had overcome the disorder.

His progress is part of a growing body of research that suggests at least 10 per cent of children with autism can "recover" from it – most of them after undergoing years of intensive behavioural therapy.

Skeptics question the phenomenon, but University of Connecticut psychology professor Deborah Fein is among those convinced it's real.

She presented research this week at an autism conference in Chicago that included 20 children who, according to rigorous analysis, got a correct diagnosis but years later were no longer considered autistic.

Among them was Leo, a boy in Washington, D.C., who once made no eye contact, who echoed words said to him and often spun around in circles – all classic autism symptoms. Now he is an articulate, social third-grader. His mother, Jayne Lytel, says his teachers call Leo a leader.

The study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, involves children ages nine to 18.

Autism researcher Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer of the advocacy group Autism Speaks, called Fein's research a breakthrough.
"Even though a number of us out in the clinical field have seen kids who appear to recover," it has never been documented as thoroughly as Fein's work, Dawson said.

"We're at a very early stage in terms of understanding" the phenomenon, Dawson said.
Previous studies have suggested between three per cent and 25 per cent of autistic kids recover. Fein says her studies have shown the range is 10 per cent to 20 per cent.

But even after lots of therapy – often carefully designed educational and social activities with rewards – most autistic children remain autistic.

Recovery is "not a realistic expectation for the majority of kids," but parents should know it can happen, Fein said.

Doubters say "either they really weren't autistic to begin with … or they're still socially odd and obsessive, but they don't exactly meet criteria" for autism, she said.
Fein said the children in her study "really were" autistic and now they're "really not."
University of Michigan autism expert Catherine Lord said she also has seen autistic patients who recover. Most had parents who spent long hours working with them on behaviour improvement.

But, Lord added, "I don't think we can predict who this will happen for." And she does not think it's possible to make it happen.
The children in Fein's study, which is still ongoing, were diagnosed by an autism specialist before age five but no longer meet diagnostic criteria for autism. The initial diagnoses were verified through early medical records.

Because the phenomenon is so rare, Fein is still seeking children to help bolster evidence on what traits formerly autistic kids may have in common. Her team is also comparing these children with autistic and non-autistic kids.
So far, the "recovered" kids "are turning out very normal" on neuropsychological exams and verbal and non-verbal tests, she said.

The researchers are also doing imaging tests to see if the recovered kids' brains look more like those of autistic or non-autistic children. Autistic children's brains tend to be slightly larger than normal.

Imaging scans also are being done to examine brain function in formerly autistic kids. Researchers want to know if their "normal" behaviour is a result of "normal" brain activity, or if their brains process information in a non-typical way to compensate for any deficits.

Results from those tests are still being analyzed.

Most of the formerly autistic kids got long-term behaviour treatment soon after diagnosis, in some cases for 30 or 40 hours weekly.

Many also have above-average IQs and had been diagnosed with relatively mild cases of autism. At age two, many were within the normal range for motor development, able to walk, climb and hold a pencil.

Significant improvement suggesting recovery was evident by around age seven in most cases, Fein said.

None of the children has shown any sign of relapse. But nearly three-fourths of the formerly autistic kids have had other disorders, including attention-deficit problems, tics and phobias; eight still are affected.

Jayne Lytel says Leo sometimes still gets upset easily but is much more flexible than before.

_____________________________________
From Canada.com and the Windsor Star

Doctor offers hope to autistic children
Research suggests 20 per cent can recover

Joanne Laucius
CanWest News Service

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

OTTAWA – The 16-year-old boy whose case will be outlined at an Ottawa university today is an example of a phenomenon many used to dismiss as impossible — that an autistic child can "recover" from the disorder.

At three years old, the boy was so obviously autistic he could barely understand the word "no," says autism researcher Dr. Deborah Fein, who will present her findings today at Carleton University.

By five, the boy was talking, had good pre-academic skills and was developing socially. Today, no one could guess the teen was once diagnosed with a perplexing brain disorder that can cause severe social interaction and language problems.

"He's bright, he has a girlfriend, he writes beautifully," said Fein, a clinician and professor at the University of Connecticut who is giving the lecture.

Fein, whose work is funded by the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Development, is on the forefront of research that suggests 20 per cent of children diagnosed with autism may recover. While some examples are more dramatic than others, her work gives hope to the families of children who fear the diagnosis.

"I think the most responsible thing to do is to tell parents, 'When they're two, we don't know what they'll look like when they're seven,'" said Fein in an interview from Connecticut.
Most of the children in Fein's research have received applied behavioural analysis (ABA). It's often called intensive behaviour intervention, or IBI in Canada.

The therapy is an intensive series of highly structured sessions that emphasize compliance, social interaction and language which can cost some families $60,000 a year.

Still, to Fein and other researchers, the mystery is why a minority of children recover and others do not. It is not ABA alone that results in recovery, she believes. No one knows what is the magic key that opens the lock.

The idea that a child can recover from autism, generally considered to be a lifelong condition, is both controversial and exciting.

However, many psychologists are still dubious about recovery and Fein, who also believes in injecting a healthy dose of skepticism, does not want to give people false hope.

"Parents are often more receptive than professionals," said Fein. "Professionals are very wary of miracle cure claims. I'm with them on that."

The 16-year-old boy, for example, still has attention problems.

One study showed that some autistic children who recover develop attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, said Fein. It is possible that these children suffered from both disorders and after they recovered from autism, ADHD remained.
Researchers can also usually tell if a child is going to recover after they have been in an ABA program for about a year, said Fein.

"If they haven't responded dramatically within a year, my guess is that they won't make dramatic progress."

Even though Fein is an advocate of ABA, she believes there has to be something else that results in recovery. "It has to be factor X. Other children had programs equally good, and they made no other progress," she said.

There have been several explanations, including that in some cases, a first diagnosis is incorrect. That is unlikely, said Fein.
It's more likely that those who recover have a different form or variety of autism than those who don't or that some children have an "unstable" form of autism.

She is now embarking on a study using brain scans to determine if there is anything different about the brain structures of the children who recover.

[Andrew Kavchak]

Hi Folks,

Well, well…check this out. Those of you with a propensity to gag may wish to get your barf bags ready. Colin Carrie can now add himself to the list of distinguished parents of autistic children in a position to help who instead work to pretend that something meaningful is happening when in fact no change is visible on the ground in our corner of planet earth. The government recognizes autism as a "serious" health issue and has done more autism than any other government…. ahem….
_______________________________

House of Commons
Hansard
May 12, 2009.

Adjournament Proceedgings

Health

Hon. Shawn Murphy (Charlottetown, Lib.):

Mr. Speaker, in May 2006, Andy Scott, the former member of Parliament for Fredericton, introduced a motion calling for the creation of a national strategy on the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder and assisting the provinces in the funding of persons diagnosed with autism.

The original wording of the motion was not acceptable to the parties, especially the Conservative Party. There were extensive negotiations between the parties as to an amended motion that would be agreeable to all parties, or at least the Conservatives and the Liberals. The motion was amended to satisfy the wishes of the government members. On December 5, 2006, the motion as amended was adopted by the House. As a representative democracy, the House was speaking on behalf of all Canadians and each member who voted for this motion was speaking on behalf of their constituents.

The motion, as amended, reads:

That, in the opinion of the House, the government should create a national strategy for autism spectrum disorder that would include: (a) the development, in cooperation with provincial/territorial governments, of evidence based standards for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder; (b) the development, in cooperation with provincial governments, of innovative funding methods for the care of those with autism spectrum disorder; (c) consulting with provincial/territorial governments and other stakeholders on the requirements of implementing a national surveillance program for autism spectrum disorder; and (d) the provision of additional federal funding for health research into autism spectrum disorder.

Voting for this motion was the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, the member of Parliament for Oshawa, the Prime Minister, and 114 other Conservative members. The motion was made in good faith and I believe all members were acting in good faith.

I reviewed the debates on this issue and the former Conservative member for Avalon summarized the mood of the House, saying that we were standing “shoulder to shoulder”. He also said, “Motion No. 172 addresses the concerns of the children themselves and hopefully the health care that is needed will be provided”. I should point out that that member lost his seat and was subsequently appointed to the Senate.

This House and all Canadians are extremely disappointed that there has been no strategy. There have been no meetings with the provincial counterparts, no standards, no study or concrete actions, nothing, zilch. Nothing has been done.

The parliamentary secretary will get up in a minute and he will read a speech prepared by the Department of Health. The response will ignore this motion. It will say that there were two or three research projects funded. It will say that the Minister of Health has met with some families and interest groups. It will say that the Minister of Health and the government are concerned, but it will not address the basic fact that this motion was totally ignored by the government.

Canadians are very interested in hearing the response of the government. I ask the parliamentary secretary to leave aside the written notes, to stand up in the House, address the Speaker and tell Canadians watching these proceedings what he was thinking about when he voted for this motion. Did he have any intentions of fulfilling the motion? Why did the other 114 members of the Conservative Party vote for the motion? Why has nothing been done? Why did the government abandon Canadian families that have persons suffering from autism?

If he gets up and reads what was presented to him, it will be an affront to the House, to every Canadian and especially to every Canadian family with an autistic child.

Mr. Colin Carrie (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, CPC):

Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that we heard that partisan rhetoric from the member because autism is not a partisan issue. I myself have a son who has been diagnosed on the spectrum. I am a little disappointed at the tone the member has taken. I think all members in the House would like to do what they can for these families and these children.

The Government of Canada recognizes that autism is a serious health and social issue affecting many Canadian families and individuals from all walks of life, including parliamentarians. We do not know what causes autism. We do not know its prevalence in Canada. We do not know the effective treatments and interventions.

In order to advance any strategic work, which is what the member is talking about, to address autism, it is essential that governments and stakeholders better understand the condition, its causes and its treatments.

Accordingly the Government of Canada needs to continue its efforts in supporting a stronger, evidence base to enhance our understanding before we commit to other action.

There has been a great deal of attention toward and activity dedicated to autism over recent years and, fortunately, so too has there been increased Government of Canada action on developing knowledge and awareness about this very important condition. By way of examples, I would like to read them for the member.

In November 2007, the Government of Canada, this government, hosted a symposium devoted to autism knowledge, and yet the member says that nothing has been done. This event provided a wonderful opportunity to bring together leading Canadian researchers, policy makers and people affected by autism to discuss the latest in autism research.

With Simon Fraser University, the Government of Canada is supporting a national research chair in autism to address issues related to treatment and intervention.

The Government of Canada has also examined the establishment of an autism surveillance system through a consultation process, the results of which are currently being analyzed and will be made publicly available this spring.

This government provided funding to the Canadian Autism Intervention Research Network to support the development of updated material in both English and French and is currently providing additional funding to develop an online national survey of research priorities in autism and hold a national autism conference in Toronto this spring.

Over the last seven years, more than $27 million have been spent on autism-related research by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

I am confident that these activities will continue to contribute to and enhance Canada's capacity to address this important issue.

The Government of Canada welcomes the opportunity to increase information and awareness on autism and provide access to the latest information to those affected by this condition and their families.

The more we share the knowledge, the more we gain.

By transforming this knowledge and awareness into appropriate treatments and interventions, we can provide the necessary change for Canadians living with autism and their families.

I am confident that, as time goes on, the challenges posed by gaps in knowledge and lack of awareness on autism will be overcome and that we can then take appropriate action in collaboration with our provincial and territorial colleagues to address this important issue. We are committed to that.

Hon. Shawn Murphy:

Mr. Speaker, the member across did exactly what I predicted he would do. He read the speech prepared by the Department of Health saying that a research project had been funded but he made no attempt whatsoever to answer the question.

A motion was passed by the House and the member voted for it, the Prime Minister voted for it, as did 14 other Conservative members. The member across vividly recalls the motion, recalls voting for the motion and recalls what the motion stated. The motion called for the creation of a national strategy for autism and it was very specific as to what this strategy would entail. I urge members of the public to read that motion. There has been absolutely no attempt whatsoever by the member, the Prime Minister or any other Conservative member to follow through on that motion.

I will go back to my question and ask the parliamentary secretary to be specific–

The Deputy Speaker:
Order, please. The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health.

Mr. Colin Carrie:

Mr. Speaker, we can hear the member's partisanship on this issue and again I am very disappointed.

He says that nothing has been done but, as I relayed through my heartfelt words, this government and many members of the House, who have put their partisanship aside, are working together toward bringing forth the issue of autism in order to understand it better so we can move forward to deal with it in the appropriate way.

The member would be quite honest if he admitted that health care and autism and different types of strategies are things that we hear about every day. However, what is important is that we do things right and we work with the provinces and territories.

This government has done more for autism and the autistic community than any government, and that member should know that because he was a member of a previous government that did absolutely nothing. He is correct in that regard.

As I said, we are committed–

The Deputy Speaker:
Order, please. The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 2 p.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24.

(The House adjourned at 6:58 p.m.)

[Andrew Kavchak]

Hi Folks,

Are you satisfied with your MP?

A new study describes the current crop as "less experience, less educated" than previous crops. This is surely confirmation of the overall deterioration of quality and substance that we have all recognized over the years (a particularly acute problem with the lack of quality leadership candidates at leadership conventions).

But what about adding an additional fact to the study's conclusion: "Less helpful"!
__________________
From CTV.ca

MPs less experienced, less educated, report finds
Updated Mon. May. 4 2009

The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — The latest crop of MPs is less educated, less experienced and more white, a new study concludes.

The report by the Public Policy Forum says almost one-quarter of MPs were newly elected in October and two-thirds have less than five years experience.

Just three per cent of MPs have more than 15 years under their belts, and most of them are Liberals.

The study also found that ethnic diversity and the number of foreign-born MPs decreased slightly after the last campaign when more Conservatives were elected.

About two-thirds of MPs have university degrees — far fewer than in the U.S. where 93 per cent of representatives have at least one degree.

Wealth may have something to do with it: it costs almost $800,000 to run for a House seat in the U.S., compared to about $62,000 in Canada.

Successive minority governments in Ottawa since 2004 have contributed to the high turnover and influx of fresh political blood, especially from the now governing Conservatives.

Most MPs, about 61 per cent, now hail from business backgrounds — not the stereotypical lawyer-turned-politician scenario, says the study.

It's different in the U.S. where 71 per cent of Congress representatives made the leap from another political job at state or local levels.

Some may argue that a revolving door to the House of Commons keeps the system fresh with new ideas and is itself proof of democratic access. But there's a possible downside to the resulting disconnect with tradition, says David Mitchell, president of the Public Policy Forum.

"We have very few career politicians currently in our Parliament and most of our MPs are new in terms of their experience. They're still learning the ropes. And that might in part explain the partisanship and rancour that we see in the House of Commons today."

Mitchell cites "an unprecedented level of partisan acrimony and a high degree of distrust between elected representatives and the federal public service."

"With 75 per cent of our politicians knowing only these dynamics of minority Parliament, has our political culture been altered? Is this a positive development?

"I think some important questions are raised."

[Andrew Kavchak]

Hi Folks,

Thanks Tony for sharing the story.

Regarding an earlier posting I made about a person being awarded special recognition by the Governor General earlier this month for work with the disabled, including the "autistic society", someone forwarded the information below to me that seems to relate to the same person and their "foundation".

Let's get the story straight…the individual apparently won an award for spending 30 years helping and advising the disabled and their families with respect to access to services and treatments, but appears to have had some difficulty meeting "filing requirements", resulting in notice to revoke the charitable status. Is that what happened?
__________________

Bridge Research Foundation – Optimal Life
General contact information
Address: c/o Bridging the Gap, 5 Ashford Dr., Ottawa, Ontario, K2H 6V4
Contact: Molly Bruce
Title: President
Phone: 613-828-9032
Keyword(s): Research
______________________

This is dated: Vol. 141, No. 52 — December 29, 2007

http://canadagazette.gc.ca/archives/p1/2007/2007-12-29/html/commis-eng.html

CANADA REVENUE AGENCY

INCOME TAX ACT

Revocation of registration of charities

The following notice of intention to revoke was sent to the charities listed below because they have not met the filing requirements of the Income Tax Act:

"Notice is hereby given, pursuant to paragraph 168(1)(c) of the Income Tax Act, that I propose to revoke the registration of the charities listed below and that by virtue of paragraph 168(2)(b) thereof, the revocation of the registration is effective on the date of publication of this notice in the Canada Gazette."

Business Number
Name/Address

118817717RR0001
BRIDGE RESEARCH FOUNDATION-OPTIMAL LIFE FOR THE HANDICAPPED, NEPEAN, ONT.

TERRY DE MARCH
Director General
Charities Directorate

[Super Dad]

Hi Andrew,

You story about Dane Spurrell reminded me of the tragic story of Yu Man-Hon:

http://www.google.ca/search?q=%22Yu+Man-Hon%22+or+%22Yu+Lai+Wai-ling%22

Jemma sent me the story a long time ago, but she hesitated to post it here because it was so heart-breaking. I feel, however, that parents should be warned about the potential dangers.

Tony

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