Quebec Liberal Party aims to create a Secretariat for people with disabilities

Quebec Liberal Party Leader Dominique Anglade is committed to forming a Secretariat for Quebecers with autism or a handicap, with a dedicated minister.

The project aims to represent more than one million Quebecers with disabilities, especially in education, transportation, and employment.

"It's the idea of giving a voice to people who don't have one that are constantly running against the wall with the government," Anglade said on Wednesday at a St-Lambert daycare centre for people with autism on the South Shore.

The Liberals also want to develop an ID card with an official photo as an alternative to a driver's licence for those who do not – or cannot – have one.

A commission of experts would support people on the autism spectrum or with a handicap as they enter adulthood and deal with daily-life challenges.

"Handicapped people don't have a voice, these people are excluded from society, they're still in confinement even though we are no longer in confinement," said Mathieu Gratton, a Liberal candidate for the Laporte riding, at the St-Lambert news conference.

The party promises more respite care for the families of disabled Quebecers to better suit their needs.

Earlier this month, Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) Leader François Legault pledged $100 million to parents of disabled children, creating 500 respite spaces across the province.

But the Liberals argue the needs are greater and more varied than what the CAQ proposes.

"People living with disabilities have tried over and over again to communicate with the government, to be consulted, to be considered," said Anglade. "You don't announce something at the election campaign, saying you'll put in that much money, [to then say] that's how you're going to solve the problem."

She added that Quebec needs a type of leadership where people are listened to and brought to the table when they do not have a voice.

The new secretariat would be similar to those already created for First Nations and English speakers in Quebec.

Anglade was the only major party leader to make a major announcement on Wednesday, as the others prepare for the final election debate on Thursday night.