Gordo's changes just plain rotten

New Order in Council allows BC to refuse benefits to children with autism.

http://www.straightgoods.ca/ViewFeature8.cfm?REF=425

Dateline: Tuesday, August 05, 2008

by Bill Tieleman

I firmly believe that ordinary British Columbians would not want their government to act in such a cruel manner, which is why this has been done so secretively. — Disability activist Dawn Steele

Underhanded, deceitful, disgusting and downright rotten.

Those are the only ways to describe one of the most despicable moves by the BC Liberal government when it comes to mistreating people with disabilities.

And with their record, that's really saying something.

Without notice to anyone affected, without consulting the public or disability groups, Premier Gordon Campbell has made changes that will have profound negative affects on adults with serious developmental disabilities.

Young adults with serious developmental disabilities and an IQ even a point above 70 will be cut off from government help.

Campbell and Children and Family Development Minister Tom Christensen secretly signed a July 18 Order-In-Council making an IQ of 70 or less one of the criteria for receiving disability services.

It lets the government evade a 2007 BC Court of Appeal ruling that the province cannot deny services to a disabled person simply because their IQ is over 70.

Dawn Steele, whose teenage son has autism, is shocked.

"This is a disgraceful, inexcusable move. It is not the way a civilized society operates," Steele said in an interview. "It will exacerbate the homeless crisis and it will not save taxpayers any money."

But it's no surprise that the BC Liberals are attacking people with disabilities. They've done it for years.

Gordon Campbell promised before the 2001 provincial election that a BC Liberal government: "Will increase emphasis on early childhood intervention programs for families with special needs children."

But in 2002, it appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada a BC Court of Appeal decision that the government was constitutionally obligated to fund behavioural therapy for children with autism.

The government's special need to save money was more important than special needs kids.

Also in 2002, I revealed a secret government document showing the BC Liberals planned to cut off benefits to 9,000 people with disabilities by forcing more than 18,000 of them and their doctors to complete a 23-page reassessment — with the goal to eliminate 50 percent from getting social assistance.

Several suicides were reported by desperate individuals who feared they would be homeless and abandoned. The government eventually dropped most of the plan.

In this latest case, the Campbell government has completely reversed its own previous position.

"The easy response to the... court decision would have been to respond by simply legislating IQ," Christensen said last year. "We didn't think that was an appropriate response."

But now they do.

And, as a result, young adults with serious developmental disabilities and an IQ even a point above 70 will be cut off from government help, leaving them potentially helpless and on the street.

And that's just disgusting.

Bill Tieleman, president of West Star Communications, is one of BC's best known political commentators and communicators. Read political commentary from Bill every Tuesday in 24 hours, Vancouver's free weekday newspaper (also online). Listen to Bill on Mondays at 10 AM on CKNW AM 980's Bill Good Show, in Vancouver BC. Bill's email address is below.

Email: weststar@telus.net. Website: http://billtieleman.blogspot.com.