A motion urging for new supports for people caring for family members who are sick or who have a disability received unanimous support in the legislative assembly last week.

The motion called for the creation of a caregiver tax credit and the provision of additional funding for therapies and specialized equipment like ramps and lifts.

It also called for funding to help with minor repairs and upgrades that would allow seniors to stay in their homes longer, and the provision of more respite care for children and dependent relatives.

The motion was tabled by Patti McLeod, the Yukon Party MLA for Watson Lake, in the legislature last Wednesday.

"During the election, this government committed to creating a caregiver tax credit for families caring for a family member with a disability. We remain committed to supporting families caring for individuals with disabilities or who are ill,” said McLeod.

She said the government sees the tax credit working in tandem with the federal government's disability $2,000 tax credit.

"These families face challenges beyond those faced by normal families, and they face additional costs as they strive to support their family members,” she said.

McLeod said the government will examine how current services can be better co-ordinated and enhanced, along with the expanded services called for in the motion.

Jan Stick, the NDP critic for Health and Social Services, moved to amend the wording of the motion from "sick or disabled family members” to "family members who are sick or disabled.”

"I think the wording in this matters a lot,” said Stick. "There is an organization in town called People First Society of Yukon.

"This group is made up of individuals – young adults and older adults – who have disabilities and they are insistent that when looking at our language and when we talk about individuals, we must remember that it is people first and then a disability or an illness or a disease, it's always people first and then the descriptor.”

McLeod fully supported the amendment and thanked Stick for improving the wording.

Stick also suggested that caregivers of people with disabilities be invited to present their views on this legislation in the house as it moves forward.

"This simple democratic measure would assist us as legislators to come up with solutions the public would endorse,” she said.

Mike Nixon, the Minister of Justice, and Tourism and Culture, also spoke on the motion.

"It is issues like this that really helped me decide to get involved in government. Most of you know that this issue is very near to me,” he said.

Nixon's youngest son, Jack, has autism.

"As a parent, I know firsthand the challenges that we face, and I know that helpless feeling that a parent of a child with a disability can have,” said Nixon.

"As I have said previously in this assembly, a family-centred approach to support for children and adults with disabilities is absolutely essential.”

Regarding the section of the motion that called for additional funding for specialized therapies and equipment, Nixon said this is an area where more can be done.

His son uses an iPod Touch as an assisted device to help him communicate.

"When it comes to assisted devices, I can share with you our family's experience and you can just think of how other families are experiencing the same thing,” said Nixon.

"The iPod Touch that Jack uses is a $200 a pop and he goes through them about every two months. In fact, it was just last (Tuesday) night that he thought it would be neat to flush his down the toilet.”

Speaking on behalf of the Liberal party, Sandy Silver, the MLA for Klondike, shared his support for the motion.

Caring for a family member who is sick or who has a disability can significantly affect a family's financial stability, he said.

"The government has both the responsibility and the opportunity to help people as they care for sick or disabled family members.

"Efficient government support benefits not just these families but the larger community supporting them,” said Silver. "We thank the member for Watson Lake for bringing this motion forward, and we will be voting in support of this motion.”

Currie Dixon, the Minister of Environment and Economic Development, noted that a number of other jurisdictions in Canada have also implemented a caregiver tax credit, including Nova Scotia and Manitoba.

In Nova Scotia caregivers were eligible for a $4,898 tax credit for the 2011 tax year. In Manitoba, caregivers are eligible for as much as $3,825.

"We would benefit by looking across the situational environment of Canada and seeing what others are doing, so that we can learn from what they have done and either model or learn what not to do when it comes to these programs,” said Dixon.