There is good and bad news, but first the bad. The federal government has failed to deliver on the promise it made in the winter of 2016 to act by the end of 2017 so as to allow a year for full consultation. When an announcement was made on December 3 that a motion had been tabled to adopt the protocol, Minister Hehr indicated in a letter that the motion would be voted on within 21 sitting days. That time has passed, and upon further inquiry we learned that months may still be needed to hear from the provincial and territorial governments who must give unanimous consent before the Protocol can be adopted. It is nothing but outrageous that all this delay is necessary just to hold the Canadian government accountable for the promise it made to the UN almost ten years ago! But it is not just about broken promises, it is worse. Just as our priorities are askew when Canada Revenue chases the little guys for their income taxes but lets the big guys off the hook for millions in income taxes when they invest billions in off-shore tax havens; it is scandalous when government is ready to spend billions of taxpayer dollars on a few fighter jets while insisting on counting pennies when it comes to securing a living wage for the masses to narrow the gap between rich and poor. Surely a government's first priority is to look after its citizens and to make all other demands subordinate to that imperative! So where's the good news, you ask. As a result of these delays in seeking to safeguard disability rights, I have decided to launch another petition on a related matter: supporting the informal caregivers who look after the disabled and frail just for the love of it. In this update, supporters are referred to the new petition that was appropriately launched on Valentine's Day. Please visit this new petition by clicking on the link provided below, then consider signing and promoting it as you did the one for the Protocol: https://www.change.org/p/jean-yves-duclos-sos-lifeline-for-caregivers Further updates will be provided as developments unfold for the Protocol. Meanwhile, we must keep up the pressure on government by keeping that petition alive. Thanks for your continuing support. Salvatore (Sal) Amenta