The New Democrat MP for Windsor-Tecumseh hopes her first private members bill will help cut through the red tape for people living with disabilities.
Cheryl Hardcastle's private member's Bill C-348 was debated during second reading in the House of Commons in Ottawa on Monday.
Hardcastle says the bill proposes the creation of a "one-stop-shop" so affected families can discover all the services available to them, and they'll no longer have to prove their disability each time they apply for a new federal program.
“The idea for the bill came from conversations I have had with constituents and local civil society groups. Sadly, the application processes for both provincial and federal programs can seem unduly onerous--punitive, even--to persons living with disabilities” said Hardcastle.
“While constitutionally there is little I can do about the way the provinces or territories manage their programs, I wanted to try and clean up the federal side of the fence as much as possible” adds Hardcastle.
A second hour of debate for Hardcastle’s bill will be held on Dec. 15.
It will be followed by a vote at second reading, which has been tentatively scheduled at night on Jan. 31, 2018.
