this lisa mcleod character is really demonstrating herself to be horrifically incompetent, and this is a good example of the kind of idiocy that one expects from a conservative government in this country. they don't even operate under a right-wing ideology, they're just openly nihilistic and destructive.

autism is a lifelong problem. and, yes - it's expensive. but, that's exactly why it needs to be socialized; it's the perfect example of when a government should step in, according to any conservative ideology i've ever read. if you were to ask any conservative philosopher that's ever existed what a government should actually do, "take care of autistic people" would be in the list of core responsibilities, along with jailing poor people and conquering savages in order to steal their resources.

the reason is that it's a full time job for whomever has to do it. if you force a family into this role, you're completely eliminating any ability they have to be self-sufficient. if it's a two income family, it becomes a one income family; if it's a one income family, it ends up reliant on some kind of assistance. so, any economist will tell you that the consequences of trying to save money like this are just going to end up costing you more.

but, beyond that, there's a human element to this. having an autistic child in a society without a social support system is a brutal life sentence. what is the argument? god's will? it's so pathetically backwards...

and, for what? an accounting identity?

there's no question that previous governments have underfunded the system. but, what lisa mcleod is doing with this is not how an advanced civilization deals with a complex social problem, it's how barbarians cull the weak.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/autism-services-funding-parents-react-1.5010316