Hundreds protest disability cuts at Alberta Legislature

Nearly 1,000 people gathered on the steps of the legislature Friday to demand Premier Alison Redford reverse the province's cuts to programs for people with developmental disabilities.

Organizers of the protest say those cuts will add up to more than $40 million, resulting in significant cuts to programs as of July 1.

"There is no carefully crafted message, no misinformation, and no backroom deal that can justify the decision made by this PC government to take $40 million away from Albertans with disabilities," NDP house leader Rachel Notley said to cheers from the crowd.

"This decision is simply wrong," she added before leading the crowd in a sing-song chant of: "PDD cuts are mean and cruel. Stop the cuts, you PC fools."

The province says it is determined to move ahead with the planned changes to the Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) program, which it is calling for a reallocation of resources, despite the growing outrage from parents and angst of associated agencies.

As part of that plan, the $96 million currently allocated for community access programs will be slashed by $42 million.

"Our commitment is to ensure that everyone who needs services get services," said Redford on Friday.

"It is not our commitment to ensure that we keep funding service providers, which are essentiallyeven as not-for-profitsbusinesses." But both agencies and the PDD clients say the cuts will drastically hurt their standard of care, and say the problem is compounded because the cuts take effect in only one month.

Opposition leader Danielle Smith, who attended the protest, called the governments decision "disgusting," adding that the province is balancing its budget on the backs of Alberta's most vulnerable population.

"How can you talk to these folks after giving yourself an eight per cent pay increase as a politician, after increasing pay and giving bonuses to AHS Executives, and say you dont have enough money to be able to properly fund the services being provided to the people here today?" she questioned. "It's outrageous."

Today's protest is the second in as many weeks at the Alberta legislature. In Calgary, nearly 300 rallied Friday outside Redford's constituency office.

At the first protest, the province said it would reconsider the cuts but later said the cuts would go ahead.