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It's been a busy week for Inclusion Canada as we continue to advocate for the quick passage of Bill C-22: the Canada Disability Benefit!
Monday - Meeting with Members of Parliament & Debate
Monday - Meeting with Members of Parliament & Debate
On Monday, October 17, Inclusion Canada senior staff and other members of the disability advocacy community attended an evening reception with Members of Parliament organized by our friends from Disability Without Poverty. This event was attended by every party's disability critic, many Members of Parliament, Senators as well as Minister Qualtrough.
During this event, disability advocates urged MPs to expedite the passage of Bill C-22. In a surprise turn of events, Bill C-22 was moved up for debate to that afternoon instead of on Tuesday as originally scheduled. As a result, the debate finished on Monday evening during the reception and the vote for Second Reading was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
Tuesday - Bill C-22 Passes Second Reading
At 3:00pm EST on Tuesday, MPs voted in a unanimous decision to pass the second reading of Bill C-22, the Canada Disability Act.
Every single Member of Parliament voted in favour of the Bill. It was a monumental and encouraging sign to have all-party support. This vote is a result of everyone's hard work in reaching out to MPs to discuss the importance of the legislation and the creation of the Canada Disability Benefit.
We all need to be proud of this moment.
This vote moves Bill C-22 to the Committee stage, where MPs on the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA) will study the Bill and hear from witnesses, people with disabilities, disability groups and others.
There is a lot more work to do before the Bill is passed into law and there are only 40 or so sitting days left in the Parliamentary calendar until the end of the year,
Inclusion Canada supports fast-tracking the Bill through the committee stage as quickly as possible while ensuring the Bill is adequately considered in the legislative process. After the Bill is considered by the Committee it then returns to the House of Commons for the Report Stage and the Third Reading debate before its final vote. Then it is sent to the Senate where it will go through all the same stages it went through in the House of Commons.
We will be pushing for a speedy process and quick passage for all these steps so the work can begin on designing and creating the Benefit through the regulatory process.
Our objective is to have the Bill passed by Parliament by December 2022 and see the Canadian Disability Benefit created as quickly as possible in 2023.
Wednesday - Rally for Bill C-22 on Parliament Hill
On Wednesday, October 19, Disability Without Poverty hosted a rally on Parliament Hill in support of Bill C-22. The rally was well attended by Parliamentarians, disability advocates, and other disability organizations, including Inclusion Canada.
The intention of the rally was to raise awareness and garner support for C-22 by demonstrating to government the importance of this benefit for people with disabilities in Canada.
What's Next?
The fight for the Canada Disability Benefit is far from over. Although a unanimous vote to pass second reading is a very encouraging step, there are other necessary steps before the Bill can become law and before the work on the design and implementation of the Benefit can happen.
It is up to the disability community and allies to keep up the pressure to get Bill C-22 passed in 2022. Inclusion Canada encourages individuals, family members, friends, and allies of the disability inclusion movement to contact your MPs and Senators to express the importance of passing C-22 in 2022.
Living with a disability should not mean living in poverty! Let's change this!
How you can continue to help:
Click here to find your Member of Parliament or Senator.
Contact them and let them know you are thankful for their support so far. Ask them for their continued support and for the speedy passage of Bill C-22.
