[Super Dad]

David Marley and Jean Lewis will be on the Bill Good Show on Thurs Oct 2 at 10:00am to 10:30am PST.

It can be heard on the CORUS radio network in Vancouver at 980AM.

It can be heard live streaming on the internet.

Tony

[Super Dad]

Medicare for Autism Now!

Status Update

We ask the simple question:

"If you are elected to the House of Commons on Oct. 14th, will you publicly commit to supporting legislation which will amend the Canada Health Act to include autism treatment?"

The Responses:

Ian Sutherland (Liberal – West Vancouver Sunshine Coast Sea-to-Sky Country, BC)
"YES, I am publicly commiting to support ammending the Canada Health Act to include Autism treatment in Medicare."

John Weston (Conservative – West Vancouver Sunshine Coast Sea-to-Sky Country, BC)
NO

Bill Forst (NDP – West Vancouver Sunshine Coast Sea-to-Sky Country, BC)
YES

Deborah Meredith (Conservative – Vancouver Quadra, BC)
NO. "waste of time"
Read more about Deborah's answers on Harold Doherty's blog:
http://autisminnb.blogspot.com/2008/09/deborah-meredith-conservative-candidate.html
http://autisminnb.blogspot.com/2008/09/deborah-meredith-clarifies-autism-issue.html

Dan Grice (Green – Vancouver Quadra, BC)
YES. "I will vote for the provision of Medicare coverage for science-based treatment of autism."

Bill Forst (NDP – Vancouver Quadra, BC)
"Unequivocal YES."

Sukh Dhaliwal (Liberal – Newton North Delta, BC)
YES

Nao Fernando (NDP – Fleetwood Port Kells, BC)
YES. "I am pleased to indicate my complete support for the inclusion of treatment for autism in Canada's national public health care system."

Brenda Locke (Liberal – Fleetwood Port Kells, BC)
"YES, if elected to the House of Commons on October 14 would support legislation that will amend the Canada Health Act to include autism treatment under Medicare."

Amy Collard (Green – Halton, Ont)
YES. "As your MP, I would strongly advocate for changes to the Canada Health Act to include not only autism treatment, but also to include diagnosis and prevention."

Lisa Raitt (Conservative – Halton, Ont)
NO.

Garth Turner (Liberal – Halton, Ont)
"YES, I will. And I have made this clear in the past."

Bonnie Brown (Liberal – Oakville, Ont)
NO. "Accordingly, regarding the CHA amendment you favour, I would have to respectfully disagree."

Michelle Bilek (NDP – Oakville, Ont)
YES

Paul Szabo (Liberal – Mississauga South, Ont)
YES. "I voted for it in the last Parliament and I will do it again."

Marnie Mellish (Green – Burlington, Ont)
"YES, I will. I have my Masters degree in Special Education and have taught special education classes in my youth. I fought long and hard for my students and got into trouble for helping parents organize to bring their concerns to the principal and the school board."

David Laird (NDP – Burlington, Ont)
"YES, organic brain disorders and developmental disorders are of increasing concern to many Canadians at a time when provincial governments are reducing supports in this vital area. I support increasing the scope of the Canada health act to include supporting individuals requiring specialized supports to achieve their maximum potential."

Mike Wallace (Conservative – Burlington, Ont)
NO.

Tony Clement (Conservative – Parry Sound-Muskoka, Ont)
NO.

Jamie McGarvey (Liberal – Parry Sound-Muskoka, Ont)
"YES I most certainly would. I am a huge supporter of early childhood education and I also recognize that education is an important part of the process with Autism Treatment. I believe putting the money up front in the early stages for treatment reduces costs later on."

Erich Jacoby-Hawkins (Green – Barrie, Ont)
"Short answer: YES."

Valerie Powell (Green – Simcoe North, Ont)
NO.

Alice Finnamore (NDP – Tobique Mactaquac)
"My answer to your question is an unqualified YES. I believe in science-based treatment of autism, and if elected will do everything I can to bring in coverage for ABA and IBI."

George Barron (NDP – West Nova, NS)
YES "In answer to your question; absolutely."

[Super Dad]

Regarding yesterday's "Medicare for Autism Now!" status update:

I apologize for mistakenly putting a YES for Dan Grice (Green – Vancouver Quadra). I was tired and was doing it blindly.

He did NOT answer our question at all. We are not talking about "public funding to provide skill training." We are talking about providing Medicare coverage for the medical treatment called ABA.

In fact, the notes that the interviewers sent to me today indicate that Dan Grice will likely be a "NO."

When you talk to candidates in your riding, please be very specific about the question, and demand a very precise answer.

Tony

[Super Dad]

Hi Peter,

If you have friends or relatives in one of the battleground ridings, you may want to consider "vote swapping":

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/story/2008/09/17/vote-swapping.html

Tony

[Super Dad]

Medicare for Autism Now!

Status Update

We ask the simple question:

"If you are elected to the House of Commons on Oct. 14th, will you publicly commit to supporting legislation which will amend the Canada Health Act to include autism treatment?"

The Responses:

Ian Sutherland (Liberal – West Vancouver Sunshine Coast Sea-to-Sky Country, BC)
"YES, I am publicly commiting to support ammending the Canada Health Act to include Autism treatment in Medicare."

John Weston (Conservative – West Vancouver Sunshine Coast Sea-to-Sky Country, BC)
No

Deborah Meredith (Conservative – Vancouver Quadra, BC)
No. "waste of time"
Read more about Deborah's answers on Harold Doherty's blog:
http://autisminnb.blogspot.com/2008/09/deborah-meredith-conservative-candidate.html
http://autisminnb.blogspot.com/2008/09/deborah-meredith-clarifies-autism-issue.html

Dan Grice (Green – Vancouver Quadra, BC)
Yes. "Yes, I support public funding to provide skill training to children with autism at an early stage."

Sukh Dhaliwal (Liberal – Newton North Delta, BC)
"Yes"

Nao Fernando (NDP – Fleetwood Port Kells, BC)
Yes. "I am pleased to indicate my complete support for the inclusion of treatment for autism in Canada's national public health care system."

Brenda Locke (Liberal – Fleetwood Port Kells, BC)
"Yes, if elected to the House of Commons on October 14 would support legislation that will amend the Canada Health Act to include autism treatment under Medicare."

Amy Collard (Green – Halton, Ont)
Yes. "As your MP, I would strongly advocate for changes to the Canada Health Act to include not only autism treatment, but also to include diagnosis and prevention."

Tony Clement (Conservative – Parry Sound-Muskoka, Ont)
No. "To answer directly, I cannot in good conscience support the addition of one specific condition to the CHA."

Garth Turner (Liberal – Halton, Ont)
"Yes, I will. And I have made this clear in the past."

Bonnie Brown (Liberal – Oakville, Ont)
No. "Accordingly, regarding the CHA amendment you favour, I would have to respectfully disagree."

Paul Szabo (Liberal – Mississauga South, Ont)
Yes. "I voted for it in the last Parliament and I will do it again."

Marnie Mellish (Green – Burlington, Ont)
"Yes, I will. I have my Masters degree in Special Education and have taught special education classes in my youth. I fought long and hard for my students and got into trouble for helping parents organize to bring their concerns to the principal and the school board."

David Laird (NDP – Burlington, Ont)
"Yes, organic brain disorders and developmental disorders are of increasing concern to many Canadians at a time when provincial governments are reducing supports in this vital area. I support increasing the scope of the Canada health act to include supporting individuals requiring specialized supports to achieve their maximum potential."

Jamie McGarvey (Liberal – Parry Sound-Muskoka, Ont)
"Yes I most certainly would. I am a huge supporter of early childhood education and I also recognize that education is an important part of the process with Autism Treatment. I believe putting the money up front in the early stages for treatment reduces costs later on."

Erich Jacoby-Hawkins (Green – Barrie, Ont)
"Short answer: Yes."

Valerie Powell (Green – Simcoe North, Ont)
Message was NOT in the affirmative to Medicare for Autism.

Alice Finnamore (NDP – Tobique Mactaquac)
"My answer to your question is an unqualified YES. I believe in science-based treatment of autism, and if elected will do everything I can to bring in coverage for ABA and IBI."

[Super Dad]

Hi Peter,

Please don't let the "income splitting" thing distract you from the Medicare for Autism Now initiative.

Please do not vote for any candidate, no matter which party, who is not publicly committing to supporting Medicare coverage for autism treatment.

We must learn to be single-issue voters. It was single-issue voters who got women the right to vote. It was single-issue voters who made the environment a big election issue. It is because of single-issue voters that the US will soon have either a black president or female vice-president.

To succeed, we need to have laser-sharp focus. Some may say I am too single-minded, but the fact is that real achievers prioritize, and sacrifice their lower priorities.

Tony

[Super Dad]

To all voters in Vancouver Quadra:

As previously noted, when we attempted to meet with Deborah Meredith, the Conservative candidate, she said she had no time for us.

She then sent us a clarification:

"What I said is that if I am elected I will meet with you. If not, it is a waste of time for both of us."

Here is the translation:

"You are obviously a pitiful minority with no political significance. Trying to win such a small number of votes is a waste of time."

Thank you, Ms. Meredith, for being truthful and not pretending to have any respect for us. That's really quite refreshing.

[Super Dad]

Medicare for Autism Now!

Status Update

We ask the simple question:

"If you are elected to the House of Commons on Oct. 14th, will you publicly commit to supporting legislation which will amend the Canada Health Act to include autism treatment?"

The Responses:

Ian Sutherland,Liberal
"YES, I am publicly commiting to support ammending the Canada Health Act to include Autism treatment in Medicare."

Deborah Meredith,Conservative
No. "I am awfully busy right now trying to win this election as I'm sure you can understand."
Read more about Deborah's answer on Harold Doherty's blog:
http://autisminnb.blogspot.com/2008/09/deborah-meredith-conservative-candidate.html

Nao Fernando,NDP
Yes. "I am pleased to indicate my complete support for the inclusion of treatment for autism in Canada's national public health care system."

Brenda Locke,Liberal
"Yes, if elected to the House of Commons on October 14 would support legislation that will amend the Canada Health Act to include autism treatment under Medicare."

Amy Collard,Green
Yes. "As your MP, I would strongly advocate for changes to the Canada Health Act to include not only autism treatment, but also to include diagnosis and prevention."

Tony Clement,Conservative
No. "To answer directly, I cannot in good conscience support the addition of one specific condition to the CHA."

Garth Turner,Liberal
"Yes, I will. And I have made this clear in the past."

Bonnie Brown,Liberal
No. "Accordingly, regarding the CHA amendment you favour, I would have to respectfully disagree."

Paul Szabo,Liberal
Yes. "I voted for it in the last Parliament and I will do it again."

Marnie Mellish,Green
"Yes, I will. I have my Masters degree in Special Education and have taught special education classes in my youth. I fought long and hard for my students and got into trouble for helping parents organize to bring their concerns to the principal and the school board."

David Laird,NDP
"Yes, organic brain disorders and developmental disorders are of increasing concern to many Canadians at a time when provincial governments are reducing supports in this vital area. I support increasing the scope of the Canada health act to include supporting individuals requiring specialized supports to achieve their maximum potential."

Jamie McGarvey,Liberal
"Yes I most certainly would. I am a huge supporter of early childhood education and I also recognize that education is an important part of the process with Autism Treatment. I believe putting the money up front in the early stages for treatment reduces costs later on."

Erich Jacoby-Hawkins,Green
"Short answer: Yes."

Valerie Powell,Green
Message was NOT in the affirmative to Medicare for Autism.

[Super Dad]

Medicare for Autism Now!

Status Update

We ask the simple question:

"If you are elected to the House of Commons on Oct. 14th, will you publicly commit to supporting legislation which will amend the Canada Health Act to include autism treatment?"

The Responses:

Name	Party	Position
Ian Sutherland	Liberal	"YES, I am publicly commiting to support ammending the Canada Health Act to include Autism treatment in Medicare."
Deborah Meredith	Conservative	No. "I am awfully busy right now trying to win this election as I'm sure you can understand." Read more about Deborah's answer on Harold Doherty's blog.
Nao Fernando	NDP	Yes. "I am pleased to indicate my complete support for the inclusion of treatment for autism in Canada's national public health care system."
Brenda Locke	Liberal	"Yes, if elected to the House of Commons on October 14 would support legislation that will amend the Canada Health Act to include autism treatment under Medicare."
Amy Collard	Green	Yes. "As your MP, I would strongly advocate for changes to the Canada Health Act to include not only autism treatment, but also to include diagnosis and prevention."
Tony Clement	Conservative	No. "To answer directly, I cannot in good conscience support the addition of one specific condition to the CHA."
Garth Turner	Liberal	"Yes, I will. And I have made this clear in the past."
Bonnie Brown	Liberal	No. "Accordingly, regarding the CHA amendment you favour, I would have to respectfully disagree."
Paul Szabo	Liberal	Yes. "I voted for it in the last Parliament and I will do it again."
Marnie Mellish	Green	"Yes, I will. I have my Masters degree in Special Education and have taught special education classes in my youth. I fought long and hard for my students and got into trouble for helping parents organize to bring their concerns to the principal and the school board."
David Laird	NDP	"Yes, organic brain disorders and developmental disorders are of increasing concern to many Canadians at a time when provincial governments are reducing supports in this vital area. I support increasing the scope of the Canada health act to include supporting individuals requiring specialized supports to achieve their maximum potential."
Jamie McGarvey	Liberal	"Yes I most certainly would. I am a huge supporter of early childhood education and I also recognize that education is an important part of the process with Autism Treatment. I believe putting the money up front in the early stages for treatment reduces costs later on."
Erich Jacoby-Hawkins	Green	"Short answer: Yes."
Valerie Powell	Green	Message was NOT in the affirmative to Medicare for Autism.

[Super Dad]

Hi Everyone,

Would you please email this to everyone in your email address book? Thank you.

Tony

***

MFAN (Medicare for Autism Now) is an organization with an extremely important mission: to focus the political power of all Canadians who care about autistic children, in order to force the government to completely cover the cost of autism treatment. We need all of you to get involved.

Here is a brief explanation of what we're trying to do:
Canada AM interviews Jean Lewis

This is how you can help:

1. Please keep an eye on the MFAN web sites, to find out which candidates to support or strike down in the federal election, and then get everyone you know to vote accordingly:

Medicare for Autism Now Society web site
Medicare for Autism Now blog

2. Please get as many people as possible to attend a major event on October 4th:

Event: "Medicare for Autism Now" Rally
Date: Saturday October 4th, 2pm-4pm
Location: Eaglequest Golf Club
Address: 7778 – 152nd Street, Surrey BC

3. Please download, print and distribute these posters/fliers from our web site:

October 4th Rally Poster
Medicare for Autism Now Info Poster

Let's put in our best effort, to get justice for our children.

[Author]

Posts