Statement on the Liberal Cabinet Selection

IL Canada, May 16, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Download This Statement in PDF

May 14, 2025

Independent Living Canada directly represents all Canadians with Disabilities which is representative of more than 27% of Canada's population through our 24 Member Centres across Canada. Despite more than 8 million Canadians being persons with disabilities, the federal government moved ahead with announcing a Cabinet that excluded a Minister or Deputy Minister tasked with being a dedicated ally for disability inclusion and accessibility.

Certainly, Prime Minister Carney considered the potentially irreparable implications this omission in the Prime Minister's Cabinet will have on the relationship with the Canadian disability community. Particularly at a time where there are so many fundamental issues directly faced by person with disabilities in Canada, including: calls for reform of the Accessible Canada Act and the Canadian Disability Benefit; and calls to repeal the Medical Assistance in Dying Act (Track 2). For the more than one in five Canadians with disabilities, the absence of a dedicated Cabinet voice is more than an oversight; it is a step backward.

Independent Living Canada is particularly concerned because representation matters: not just symbolically, but practically. A Minister or Secretary of State with a clear mandate to advance disability rights, ideally someone with lived experience, plays a vital role in shaping policy that reflects the values of independence, choice, and self-determination that our movement is built on. Excluding this leadership on Cabinet does little more than ensure that the inclusion of persons with disabilities and the important role we play in the Canadian landscape will surely be overlooked.

Independent Living Canada knows all too well that inclusion must never be treated as secondary. We have been championing on behalf of every Canadian with a disability for nearly 40 years – often side by side, in partnership with our federal government. We remind you that the erosion of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility within government institutions directly impacts the supports, services, and opportunities available to Canadians with disabilities.

Independent Living Canada urges Prime Minister Carney to immediately correct this gap in his Cabinet and to work in true partnership with the more than 8 million Canadians with disabilities going forward. Appointing a Minister responsible solely for disability inclusion and to fulfill the commitments made in the 2025 Liberal Party platform will affirm the Prime Minister' s commitment to equity and inclusion—not just in words, but through decisive leadership.

Respectfully In Support of this Statement,

  • IL Centre of Waterloo Region
  • ILRC Calgary
  • Centre for IL in Toronto Inc.
  • ILRC Thunder Bay
  • VA Montérégie
  • IL Centre Kingston
  • Ottawa ILRC
  • Victoria DRC
  • Niagara Centre for IL
  • Cowichan ILRC
  • VA Abitibi-Témiscamingue
  • The Ability Hub
  • South Saskatchewan IL Centre
  • IL Vernon
  • IL Nova Scotia
  • Breaking Down Barriers ILRC
  • Disability Resource Centre for IL
  • IL London and Area
  • Empower
  • RISE – Resource Centre For IL
  • VA Péninsule Acadienne
  • Richmond Centre for Disability
  • VA Montréal
  • IL Sudbury Manitoulin

 

For more information, please contact:

Freda Uwa, National Executive Director
Independent Living Canada

freda.uwa@ilc-vac.ca