Keeping it Real…

Remember all those B.C. election promises about a more open government? Remember the vow to make freedom of information requests easier/faster?  Remember the “open” Cabinet meetings the public were invited to attend? Remember they said they would consult, listen and respond?

What happened!!

The B.C. Liberal government has turned increased secrecy, obfuscation, lack of real consultation and decreasing responsiveness into one of the the appalling hallmarks of its current term. Just ask the sacrificed businesses on Cambie Street, the unheeded residents of Delta struggling vainly against a massive powerline expansion right through their neighbourhoods; anyone filing a freedom of information request, where responses (not necessarily the desired answers) are now taking on average 51 business days … well beyond the 30 days required by law;  and all  those ignored motorists/truckers/farmers/businesses “in the heartland” … often facing not only higher rises in gasoline prices than the rest of us, but also unavoidable longer travelling distances to add to their pain …  and now with an escalating carbon tax to boot.

And then there were the unjustified and petulant attacks on the Auditor General, who exposed the government’s failing to do its due dilligence on behalf of the public in considering (and approving) Western Forest Products’ plan to remove 28,000 hectares of tree farm license forest land and convert it for development.  

Now there’s this: the following is an open letter sent to the Premier by Moms on the Move …a community based group, fighting for for autistic, special needs and developmentally challenged children in B.C..   Read it not just to understand their concerns … but especially to see what they say about the government’s handling of major policy changes behind closed doors, without any public consultation .  

That’s what really bothers me …and should bother you .. the most.  It’s certainty not what British Columbians were promised …  or voted for.

I’m happy to give their letter a public forum:

Re: OIC 610 – approved July 18, 2008

Premier Campbell,

Moms on the Move is an informal provincial support network that connects over 1,000 parents of individuals with special needs/developmental disability, including autism, across BC. We have operated on an all-volunteer basis since 2001, providing information and advocacy support to help families cope with the many challenges of supporting these adults, youth and children.

We were very disturbed to receive several copies of the above Order in Council from concerned professionals just this morning. We find it incomprehensible that the Province would move to restrict access to community living services that are critical to the safety and wellbeing of families and individuals despite overwhelming advice from all parties about the dire urgency of expanding and improving access instead. Further, we are stunned that a policy change with such severe implications would be made behind closed doors, with no public discussion, with no public announcement or rationale provided, and in contravention of all advice that your government has received from families, service providers and professionals with expertise in developmental disabilities. The Representative for Children and Youth recently highlighted the plight of young adults denied services on the basis of IQ level. Why introduce an IQ requirement to further restrict access to supports when all the professionals tell us that need is linked to functional status, not IQ or even diagnostic labels? 

Kindly provide your rationale, as Presiding Member of the Executive Council, for recommending/ approving the above policy change. Include the appropriate risk analysis or other supporting evidence which you relied upon to justify this policy change as Presiding Member of the Executive Council. Specifically, please advise whether you were personally aware of any of the following in approving this change:

1) How many individuals will be excluded from services and supports provided by CLBC who would otherwise have been eligible under the former regulations?

- Currently: i.e. number of individuals currently served or who have requested services who would be affected by this change; and

- Projected: i.e. number of youth under age 19 with developmental disabilities and IQ of 70 or more who are currently receiving supports from CLBC or MCFD, who will be affected in future by this change.

2) The estimated annual costs over the next 10 years of serving the above individuals who will be impacted by this change?

3) Full assessment of the risks posed to the excluded individuals, their families and communities by this change?

4) Estimate of the additional costs that will be imposed on other government services, including costs imposed on all local, provincial and federally-funded services such as health authorities, hospitals, emergency personnel and first responders, police, courts and prison services, mental health, addiction and rehabilitation services, community services, social housing, welfare, etc.?  

5) The names and credentials of any BC clinicians who have advised that such a change is appropriate and their rationales for such advice?

6) Any public consultation conducted with respect to the above policy change?

Further, kindly explain how effecting this significant policy change behind closed doors and with no public discussion or consultation or explanation whatsoever is consistent with your commitment to providing open and accountable government to the citizens of British Columbia.

We are requesting that you provide a prompt, reasonable and direct response to the above questions. We will be sharing your response with the media and the community. We would request that you respond personally as opposed to refering these questions to one of your Ministers, as we we will also be posing appropriate questions to both the current and former Ministers for CLBC regarding their rationales for supporting this change. So to be crystal clear, what we are hereby requesting is your personal justification for your role as Presiding Member of the Executive Council in approving this change.  

Sincerely,

Dawn Steele & Cyndi Gerlach,

Moms on the Move

• Share