Minister more worried about saving face than kids

August 25, 2011

Alberta’s NDP Opposition children and youth services critic Rachel Notley says Minister Yvonne Fritz is doing the least to protect kids and giving herself too much power in response to the disturbing death of a 14 month old.

“If Albertans are wondering what this vaguely independent proposed quality council could generate, look at the hole-riddled, evasive and, frankly, incomprehensible report on this infant’s death. All I see in her plan is more of the same-old, same-old that will defy any form of accountability,” Notley says.

A quality council would fall under section nine of the Evidence Act, which has been used to justify the withholding of details in government reports and prevents FOIPing of details given to the council in testimony. It would seriously impede accountability, says Notley.

The plan for an independent quality assurance council lacks details on what accountability and thoroughness would be required, says Notley. The council would still be far too connected to the minister though both appointment and reporting procedures.

Notley is calling for an independent child advocate, an officer of the Legilsature to be empowered to conduct investigations at the advocate’s discretion, reporting directly to the public as many details about cases as needed to determine needed changes and whether the government’s policies help or hinder children’s safety. It’s a model successfully running in other provinces.