Let’s talk about priorities, and doing what needs to be done now, not at next years budget.

Posted on by Laila

The BC Liberal government just announced this: $100 million dollar fund to boost B.C’s tech sector 

tech

 

 

 

 

And this: Government leads the way with $50 million for health research
terrylake

 

 

 

 

 

Yet even having acknowledged that the Ministry of Children and Family Development has been starved for resources for years-YEARS-and a stated need for at least $50 million to hire and train new staff….

This is the governments response:

Cadieux said she’ll study the report for the next few months and has asked Plecas to remain with the ministry to help implement the recommendations and provide a six-month update.

She promised no immediate specific funding, saying that is a matter for the budget, to be tabled in February.

Now let me say this. Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond has been saying the same things Bob Plecas has said in this new report, for years. ( this link is from October 2014. Nothing was done.Think about that.)

So have others.

It’s not a surprise to anyone,least of all this government that something has needed to be done for far too long. They have chosen to ignore those prior recommendations and with every single tragic death pledge again and again, to ‘examine the issues and find out what went wrong.” It’s one show of concern after another with absolutely zero results. Kind of like the Highway of Tears #MMIW recommendations.

How many children and youth deaths does it have to take for some action? It’s just not right to wait until February to make a firm commitment to get that money out, when $150 million was just handed out like an election was happening tomorrow. 

But I get it. Those kids in care don’t vote.  And they sure as heck don’t make for a good smiley photo opportunity for anyone in this government.

Just for once, please, do the right thing, right now. Because we don’t want to see even one more tragic story appear in a list that grows longer every year. 

 

 

10 thoughts on “Let’s talk about priorities, and doing what needs to be done now, not at next years budget.”

  1. Yes, like Highway of Tears transit improvements, $3 million…over three years.

    How much are we paying Plecas? Because it looks like wasted funds as well as wasted time.

    In line with the proposal to not wait for budget to plan, let’s also consider that we ought properly to be the folks that delegate authority to the government, so we should be drawing up a legislative agenda, including budget priorities, to drop on the government’s desk so we can compare what the different programs are and how we will reconcile them.

    Policy Alternatives has been doing a lot of this work for years, with the exception of the reconciliation.

    Can we get the message across that we who pay for all this stuff want to see some return on our social investment, not in lower taxes, necessarily, but in benefits to society as a whole that will pay us all. OK, I just let out a deep breath (as in not holding it).

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  2. Governments seem to think they are in business and economically driven. They seem to think it is their job to create jobs and drive the economy.

    They are dead wrong. They are there to serve us and keep us safe. Period.

    They suck their revenues from the public and serve up their services like Dicken’s served gruel. They are just greedy and selfish. And really, really stupid. They are the worst example of the worst kind of business. Because they know nothing about any kind of business except extortion.

    School and care for the kids, tend to the sick and dying and protect us from the bad boys. Maybe pave a road or build a bridge. They should keep it to that. That is simple. They may even be able to do it.

    If we wanted a businessperson to run the province we’d elect Pattison. Instead, we elected a ditzy,lying cheerleader. Give her a baton and sack her.

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  3. An average of 8 kids a month dying since July 2007, let that sink in, 8 kids a month.

    If this was happening to people being held by the police while in custody there would be revolts in the streets.

    Over 800 kids and their families getting screwed over one more time by the BC Liberals. How about a recall campaign for the minister of Children and Families, or the finance minister or Cristy Clarke?

    The BC liberals are getting huge donations from big business how about forking that money over to the people that it should be going to, the taxpayers of BC. Thomas Jefferson once said ” when the people fear the government there is tyrany, when the government fears the people there is democracy”.

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  4. Laila, I have been keeping abreast of this as has Travis from IntergityBC. The Plecas peice is deflection at its worst.

    Travis posted this.

    Plecas said death and serious injuries to children under supervision occur “rarely.”

    Between July 2007 and Sept. 2015, there were 2,077 critical injuries and 814 deaths reported to the representative, including 380 severe injuries and 90 deaths this year.

    Now this report is an attempt to discredit this. http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Mulgrew+Judge+slams+child+welfare+officials+horrific+abuse+case/11216319/story.html?fb_action_ids=624906344278419&fb_action_types=og.comments

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  5. background to Plecas reference to Ted Hughes report in 2006

    Ted Hughes made 62 recommendations in his report to improve B.C.’s beleaguered child-protection system. Here are some highlights:

    Representative for Children and Youth: The creation of this position to act as an advocate for families and children, and to monitor the over-all child protection system.

    Background: The Liberals axed a similar position, the Children’s Commissioner, in 2002 in a cost-cutting move. snip

    http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/columnists/story.html?id=ccb5060b-99d0-4696-8035-ac8105675a38

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    1. Long live those with long memories, excellent research skills and a propensity for pointing out where this could have been fixed long ago.

      Good Lord.

      I have a horrifying feeling this Plecas report is leading up to an attempt to get rid of the good Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond for good. Criticism, in particular repeat and very factual criticism is not taken well by this government in particular.

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      1. Yes they will probably get rid of her and appoint someone that thinks the same way they do, problem solved for the Liberals by the Liberals.

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  6. Aw, c’mon people. It looks as the $50 million to Health was to a good cause. Chrispy doesn’t wear glasses any more. Must have been a retinal implant?

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