ASEQ-EHAQ

L'Association pour la santé environnementale du Québec / Environmental Health Association of Quebec

Official Response from Québec solidaire (QS) to the Five Commitments Questionnaire

Hello,

I hope this message finds you well. I am writing on behalf of Québec solidaire in response to the request for a statement of commitment that you sent us.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share our commitments regarding the protection of people with multiple chemical sensitivity.

  1. A Quebec Action Plan on MCS and Accessibility

Commit to developing, in collaboration with people with lived experience of MCS and the organizations that represent them, an interministerial action plan covering, in particular, health, housing, employment, education, public services, and accessibility.

A Québec Solidaire government plans to draft, in collaboration with people with disabilities and the organizations that represent them, a genuine Universal Accessibility Act, which will better protect the rights of people with disabilities and enable them to fully enjoy the same equitable services as other Quebecers.

  1. Accessible Health Care

Implement source control measures, adaptation protocols, mechanisms for requesting adaptations in advance, and training so that people living with SCM can receive care without avoidable exposure.

Québec Solidaire supports these requests. It will assess their implementation as part of the development of its Universal Accessibility Act.

  1. Accessible, Healthy, and Affordable Housing

Recognize accessibility needs related to SCM in housing policies; support low-emission construction, renovation, and maintenance practices; and back demonstration projects for affordable housing designed to meet these needs.

Québec solidaire’s Housing Plan (available online) calls, among other things, for the development of 50,000 new, truly affordable social and community housing units through new construction and the acquisition of existing housing. These units

In addition, Québec solidaire will enhance the RénoRégion program and reinstate the Rénovations Québec program to help families maintain their homes in good condition. The criteria will be continually reviewed to ensure that the most pressing needs are met and to encourage the housing stock’s transition to renewable energy and adaptation to climate change.

Finally, enabling people with disabilities to remain in their own homes is essential both to guarantee their dignity and quality of life and to combat the housing crisis. Unfortunately, funding for the Home Adaptation Program (PAD) has been highly unstable under the CAQ, and applications have gone unanswered for several years. Québec solidaire will ensure sufficient and sustainable funding for the PAD and will make sure that applications are processed quickly.

  1. More Accessible Indoor Environments Through Source Control

Integrate procurement and maintenance practices into government buildings and state-funded institutions that prioritize fragrance-free products with lower VOC emissions and the lowest possible toxicity, as well as policies and procedures for source reduction.

Québec solidaire supports these proposals and will evaluate their implementation as part of the drafting of its Universal Accessibility Act.

  1. Data, Research, Training, and Socioeconomic Inclusion

Improve Quebec’s monitoring and data on chemical sensitivity, support research and professional training, strengthen workplace adaptations, and explicitly include chemical sensitivity in relevant disability and accessibility initiatives.

Yes. Québec solidaire will explicitly include SCM in relevant disability and accessibility initiatives. It will assess the best way to improve monitoring and data on SCM in Québec while supporting research on this issue.

Finally, a Québec Solidaire government plans to promote employment access for people with disabilities, in addition to increasing mission-based funding for community organizations by up to one billion dollars. These organizations will be better equipped to carry out their missions of accompanying, adapting to the needs of, supporting, and protecting people with multiple chemical sensitivity.

Final Question

Is your party willing to meet with ASEQ-EHAQ and people living with MCS to discuss these commitments during the campaign or, if your party is represented in the National Assembly, after the election?

Yes. A representative from Québec solidaire will be happy to meet with ASEQ-EHAQ and people living with MCS to discuss these commitments after the election.