FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 13, 2010
Tories Chastise Minister for Taxing Autistic Children
Shurman and Jones say HST on Intensive Behavioural Intervention Therapy is immoral
Shurman noted that he is hearing from parents of autistic children and IBI therapy providers in his riding who are deeply concerned about what the additional cost of the HST on IBI therapy will mean for autistic children. An IBI therapy provider has indicated that families are already limiting the number of hours of IBI therapy for their children by what they can currently afford to pay.
?Making them pay another 8% in HST will only force them to cut back those hours even further. In the words of one parent from my riding, ?Taxing autistic children is immoral? shared Peter Shurman.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 13, 2010
Tories Chastise Minister for Taxing Autistic Children
Shurman and Jones say HST on Intensive Behavioural Intervention Therapy is immoral
(Queen?s Park) ? In Question Period yesterday, Thornhill MPP Peter Shurman and MPP Sylvia Jones, PC Critic for Children and Youth Services berated Laurel Broten, Minister for Children and Youth Services about the impact that the HST will have on autistic children?s therapy.
?Parents of autistic children who have to pay out-of-pocket for Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) spend on average $60,000 per year for therapy. Starting July 1st, IBI therapy providers who are not registered psychologists will have to charge their clients the HST,? Jones said.
Shurman noted that he is hearing from parents of autistic children and IBI therapy providers in his riding who are deeply concerned about what the additional cost of the HST on IBI therapy will mean for autistic children. An IBI therapy provider has indicated that families are already limiting the number of hours of IBI therapy for their children by what they can currently afford to pay.
?Making them pay another 8% in HST will only force them to cut back those hours even further. In the words of one parent from my riding, ?Taxing autistic children is immoral? shared Peter Shurman.
-30-
For further information please contact:
Debbie Osske, Executive Assistant
Office of Peter Shurman, MPP-Thornhill
(416) 903-4485, debbie.osske@pc.ola.org
Ashley Hammill - Legislative Assistant
Office of Sylvia Jones, MPP ? Dufferin-Caledon
(416) 325-1898, ashley.hammill@pc.ola.org