Election Brings Key Issues Forward

MS Society Focuses on Income Security and Supports During the recent federal election, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada put seven key questions in front of the parties and candidates.

“The election was an important opportunity to let all the candidates know about the issues that are priorities for the 50,000 Canadians with MS and their families,” says Susan A. Murray, chair of the MS Society of Canada National Government Relations Committee.

The questions zeroed in on income security and supports as a primary priority since, over time, the majority of people with MS are no longer able to work full time. Disability pensions, tax relief for medical and disability expenses and tax credits become necessities for people with MS. Access to expensive prescription drugs, home care and assistance for caregivers are equally vital. However, the current income security and supports system for Canadians with disabilities is no system at all. Multiple levels of government and their numerous ministry departments result in confusion and frustration when a person with MS tries to find assistance.

Because of this, the first question the MS Society asked the parties and candidates was, “Do you support making a new income security and disability supports program a federal priority?’ Many people with MS can and want to work part-time, so another question asked was whether the parties supported the development of a program that would allow part-time work coupled with partial CPP disability benefits.

“Through our work with the Episodic Disabilities Network, we and other coalition members know that creating a program to allow for part-time work and partial disability benefits would benefit both individual Canadians and society as a whole because of increased productivity and a more inclusive society,” says Ms. Murray.

Recognition of the important role of caregivers who are family and friends was another election issue for the MS Society. The parties and candidates were asked directly if they support a tax credit for spouses who act as caregivers – currently, this is not available to spouses, who are frequently caregivers.

“For too many years, caregivers have been forgotten people,” explains Ms. Murray. “In many cases, caregivers have voluntarily taken on the responsibilities for their loved ones, which enables people with MS and other diseases and disabilities to remain at home or receive an acceptable level of care in continuing care facilities. This saves the Canadian health care system millions of dollars. Our work with caregivers has led us to the conclusion that there must be comprehensive, coordinated supports for these important people who become caregivers.”

Moving forward, improvements in federal disability pensions, tax credits and caregiver and medical deductions are just part of the answer. Currently, the provincial, territorial and municipal governments are responsible for providing programs that are necessary for people with chronic diseases and disabilities. These include the funding of expensive drugs, home care, accessible transportation, mobility aids and the many other services that make it possible for people with disabilities to truly participate in family and community life.

Finding out about and applying for the myriad of supports and programs is confusing and disheartening. It becomes even more frustrating when applicants realize home care services or drug cost reimbursement would be far better if they lived in another part of Canada.

It is time to move beyond this patchwork of disability income and support programs, as was pointed out forcefully by the Technical Advisory Committee on Tax Measures for Persons with Disabilities in its December 2004 report, Disability Tax Fairness: “Perhaps the most important action that the government can take to assist persons with disabilities is to invest in the supply of disability supports…Priority should be given to expenditure programs rather than tax measures to target new funding where the need is greatest.”

The dialogue that the MS Society engaged in with the parties and candidates during the recent election is one more step forward. In the coming months, the MS Society will work with the new government along with other concerned organizations and coalitions to keep these priority issues in the forefront.

The MS Society Election 2006 Candidate Questionnaire is posted on the MS Society of Canada website. Just go to www.mssociety.ca and select Get Involved/Government Relations and Social Action/Elections 2006.