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BC's Beleaguered Child Protectors

Social workers say bulging caseloads, funding cuts and churn at the top are putting kids at risk.

By Katie Hyslop, 11 May 2010, TheTyee.ca

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Breaking up families, a brutal job.

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Think your job is hard? Imagine if you broke up families for a living.

That's the reality for child protection social workers. While their main aim is to keep families together, that's not always possible, and when things don't work out social workers remove kids from their parents.

It's a tough job, but from 2000 to 2008, Tracey Young had to do it.

"I remember a really distressing case where the child had been brought into care, just a tiny little child. And the dad was a very compromised person himself, a substance abuser, and he just wasn't going to be able to have the child," recalls Young, who worked for British Columbia's Ministry of Child and Family Development (MCFD).

"It was also one of the saddest cases for me, too, because this was a man, and the mother, who genuinely loved their baby and they just didn't have the capacity to be able to give her what she needed."

But Young didn't have much time to dwell on the tragedy of splitting up a family for good -- social workers have dozens of cases to look after, sometimes more than 35 active cases at once. That means 34 other families, 34 other loads of paper work waiting back at the office.

Former and current MCFD social workers like Young are speaking out, however, on what they say is an overwhelming caseload and lack of resources that has turned their job from preventative work with families in trouble, to picking up the pieces of families broken apart by addiction, mental illness, and poverty.

"Workers do their best to try to pull together good plans and try to support and protect children and support families as well. But the system has been broken down for a long time now," says Young, now an advocate for social workers and families involved with MCFD through the BC Association of Social Workers and her blog, Advocacy BC.

It's a strained system largely shielded from public eyes. When B.C.'s independent child welfare watchdog Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond sought cabinet documents to complete an audit, the BC Liberal government introduced legislation denying her access. She filed a court petition last Tuesday saying she had hit the wall in her efforts to get government information she needs to gauge how well protected children are in B.C.

Children's Minister Mary Polak called the petition a "waste of scarce resources" and said Turpel-Lafond's access would be blocked unless she signs a "protocol agreement" on confidentiality -- an agreement Turpel-Lafond refuses to sign.



Climbing caseloads

Currently in B.C. there are roughly 9,000 children in foster families and another 4,000 living outside their parents' house, usually with a relative, under MCFD supervision. Just over half these kids are aboriginal. Almost all of them live in poverty.

For all these children, there are 1,276 social workers to manage their cases, 17 more since 2001 -- one year after the Liberal party noted in their election platform a serious lack of social workers.

The 2006 Hughes Report included in its list of 62 recommendations for MCFD that it hire more social workers. MCFD obliged by hiring 180 more workers in 2006, but 185 full-time equivalences were cut in the 2009 provincial budget.

The effects of a reduced workforce on social workers were revealed in Hands Tied: Child Protection Workers Talk About Working In, and Leaving, B.C.'s Child Welfare System, a report issued by Pivot Legal Society last year. Of the 109 current and former child protection workers surveyed, over one-third said they juggle 25 to 35 active cases at one time, while the same amount claim to have over 35.

"Thirty-five is too much," Young says. "Too much to be able to give the kind of attention that children and families need to do proactive work."

Each case comes with its own paperwork, visits with clients and foster families, and appointments. A large chunk of this work used to be the responsibility of social work assistants, but ministry cuts meant many offices lost those positions.

Then there are the kids in the social worker's care.

Every time a social worker takes a child from their parents, they become the child's legal guardian, responsible for setting up and attending visits with possible foster families, attending school meetings or doctor appointments, and signing documents on the child's behalf. Young had up to five children in her care at any one time, sometimes more.

But it isn't just the kids the social worker has to worry about. On one file a child protection social worker is responsible for working with three groups: the children, the parents, and the caregivers.

In addition to their own high caseload, child protection social workers are asked to cover for co-workers on sick or maternity leave, or even those who have retired or quit.

This burdensome workload takes its toll. Hands Tied asserts MCFD child protection workers had one of the highest job turnover rates in government from 2002 to 2006: 10 per cent. They also had an annual sick leave well above government average: 12.39 days per employee, compared to 8.55 for other government workers.

Close to 70 per cent of the former MCFD workers surveyed in Hands Tied indicated a smaller caseload would have been "very likely" to convince them to stay, higher than a wage increase.

MCFD hasn't publicly responded to Hands Tied but disputed the report's numbers in an email response, claiming turnover only increased from 6.3 per cent to 7.15 per cent from 2005 to 2008, including retirements.

Disputes over numbers aside, Hands Tied results reveal child protection workers feel they aren't able to do their job.

From preventative care to triaging

Only eight per cent of the workers surveyed felt they were always able to act in the best interests of the child, while 49 per cent said they sometimes did.

Young fell into the latter group.

"That was one of the strong reasons that I wanted to leave and needed a career change because I just wasn't able to spend as much time with both the children that I was legal guardian to, but also the families, just to be able to support the parents, because that's where my strengths lie to help bring about change," she says.

It wasn't always like this. UBC social work professor Richard Sullivan worked as a child protection social worker in B.C. during the 1970s. He says a lot of his job was offering assistance to parents dealing with the daily stresses of being a parent.

"You would spend at least half of your day responding to calls from parents with normal developmental questions, or wanting to know if they were frustrated, could you get them some homemaker help," Sullivan recalls. "Or people calling for things like, 'Can you get my kids to camp?'"

But today, instead of offering assistance to families before they reach the end of their rope, social workers spend most of their time dealing with families in crisis, where abuse or neglect has already allegedly occurred.

To every sector, turn, turn, turnover

It isn't just front line child protection workers who are jumping ship. In the 14 years since MCFD was created, there have been 11 ministers and nine deputy ministers in charge of the portfolio.

Among Hughes' recommendations was a call for the "revolving door" of MCFD ministers and deputy ministers to stop. The Liberal party made a similar statement in its 2000 election platform by promising to "stop the endless bureaucratic restructuring that has drained resources from children and family services."

Mary Polak is the current MCFD minister, the third since the Hughes Report came out. She took the helm in June 2009, and Young questions whether Polak or any of the previous MCFD ministers were qualified for the portfolio.

"[Governments] seem incapable of appointing anyone who has a background in child welfare, social services," Young says, pointing her finger at the previous New Democratic Party (NDP) government as well.

Sullivan says MCFD is one of the least popular ministries in government and politicians try to get out of it as quickly as possible.

"The best thing that an MCFD minister can hope for is to stay out of the press. Since when is no press good for a political profile?" he asks.

Current Deputy Minister Lesley du Toit has a background in social work -- but she had to be brought in from South Africa.

"She has never worked on the frontlines in B.C. She was handpicked by Gordon Campbell. Most people do not know how long she had been waiting in the wings and how long she's been getting consulting contracts prior to her being announced as deputy minister," says Young.

Sullivan has concerns about du Toit as well.

"She was first brought in as a consultant at about $20,000 a month, and has now been in place for quite a long time. Where are the deliverables?" he asked, referring to her initial three-month contract position in 2006 to complete the implementation of Hughes' recommendations. "And if they're not there, why is she still there?"

By last count, 28 of the 62 recommendations had yet to be implemented. That was in December 2008.

In an email statement Polak said MCFD's Strong, Safe and Supported report, released in April 2008, moved beyond Hughes by creating an "action plan" for all the services offered by MCFD.

But the provincial Representative for Children and Youth Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond -- a government appointed MCFD watchdog -- called the report an "aspirational plan" without a budget, implementation plan, or timeline. She also criticized MCFD for issuing the report without any collaboration from her office.

Turpel-Lafond was not available for comment, but during a meeting of the Child and Youth Committee last November, she said to her knowledge the Hughes recommendations were not fully implemented.

Cut and reshuffle

Further cuts were introduced in the 2010 Budget when the ministry announced it would transfer $5 million from its regular services to fund its aboriginal services. This is in addition to a cut of $7.4 million to MCFD contract agencies that according to an article in the Vancouver Sun "provide the bulk of front-line services for the ministry."

Previous efforts to create separate aboriginal-run child welfare authorities, beginning in 2001, have stalled. After eight years and only two authorities with full delegation over aboriginal child welfare, MCFD abandoned this idea in favour of an interim First Nations Child and Family Wellness Council, created in March 2009.

The Council, comprised of aboriginal groups and MCFD, is slated to develop the Indigenous Child at the Centre Action Plan. The plan was supposed to be implemented within six months -- a draft was completed in May 2009, but hasn't been finalized.

But region reorganization hasn't stopped there.

Last October, du Toit announced a rearrangement of some of the ministry's five regions. Young fears changing the regions will result in more instability.

"They are essentially splitting apart the office that used to cover Bella Coola, Bella Bella and Klemtu. It has taken MCFD years to get some half-way stable leadership and workers up there and now that office, in one decision from Victoria, is apparently no longer," she says.

The ministry had to make these changes on a reduced budget -- government froze the MCFD budget for three years starting 2009. A wage freeze was also introduced.

"Cuts should not be placed on that ministry," Young says. "It's been cut to the bone, and in my opinion there's no where more to cut, and yet those cuts continue."

This year the Child in the Home of a Relative and Kith and Kin programs -- child protection arrangements where children removed from their parents are placed with family members -- were also scrapped, replaced by an Extended Family Care program, a decision Young says was made without any consultation with workers or community stakeholders.

Who cares about kids?

One of the reasons the government can get away with underfunding and reshuffling MCFD, Sullivan says, is because it's a service that doesn't have a large amount of political or public support.

"The stakeholders are pretty beleaguered people, who at the point at which government assistance is made available is a very residual and intrusive form of assistance, and therefore not popular and not well received," he says.

Many of the kids in care now were born to parents who also grew up in the province's child protection system.

"I've heard many tales of abuse from parents who had been in care," says Young, adding a history of poverty, mental illness, or addiction is often at the root of a family's problems. "Their children are then at risk sometimes because they didn't learn how to be properly parented themselves."

But while working with families in crisis -- and in some cases breaking them apart -- can be stressful, Sullivan says all the studies he has read in the last decade indicate social workers are leaving because MCFD cannot get its act together.

"They need to stop the turnover at all sorts of levels, right from line levels, attrition rates, to yes, stop the turnover of ministers," he says. "Get somebody with some vision and commitment, and maybe develop some senior staff who have come up through the system and have credibility with the line staff and not parachute people in from other countries and other jurisdictions and other ministries with maybe some management skills but no real knowledge of child welfare." [Tyee]

Katie Hyslop is a Vancouver-based journalist who reports for Megaphone and others.

37 Comments:

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  • Grania

    2 years ago

    MCFD is a tragic joke

    duToit has not achieved one single objective that she articulated when she first arrived from Africa. Frankly...one wonders if the woman is even sane sometimes. Gordon Campbell wants MCFD to LOOK like children are protected when children are NOT protected so that money is saved. The Child Advocate was making that game difficult to play. Hence...the effort to cripple her efforts to fulfill her mandate. duToit once made a lot of noise about the 250 new positions. What she did not say was that NONE were front line...they were all chi chi positions easy to get rid of in the near future and enough to curb criticism in the media at that moment. MCFD is overflowing with chi chi positons...positions with lofty goals and lofty titles... and attached to salaries that are much higher than line workers...chi chi positons like management, analysts, policy makers...who NEVER SEE A CHILD ! All the resources are either gone or diminished to the point they may as well not exist. Polak is the perfect Minister for this government. She will continue to ensure that our children and families are not supported in BC...but will work hard to deceive us into believing that is not true. She will never embarrass the government by telling the truth!

  • Grania

    2 years ago

    PS

    There needs to be an investigative report done on the number of children who have been seriously injured, or who have died, known to MCFD, since Campbell first came to power. This needs to be public.

  • Jeffrey J.

    2 years ago

    Children (and people) Not a Liberal Priority

    Not too long ago BC was genuinely interested in the welfare of our children, the most vulnerable of our society, and a refrain found in the Harper rhetoric as he tries to re-ignite the abortion debate. The irony is that when we have a real opportunity to help the vulnerable, actual living children who need help, these governments lose all interest.

    As anyone in BC can tell, the Liberal priorities are clear: oil, gas, money, corporate development, continuous growth. Contrast this with citizen priorities: people, children, health, education, social justice, environmental sustainability.

    This is the classic, historic chasm between authoritarian regimes and the society they crush. We are seeing it perfectly played out in BC.

    Great coverage and a great article.

  • Skywalker

    2 years ago

    Hypocrites and Campbell liberals

    Those sanctimonious liberals who made all that noise about Matthew V. years ago are now even worse than anything ever dreamed of.

  • Adam M

    2 years ago

    Good Article

    One thing to be noted regarding high turnover at MCFD: it tends to fill the ranks with inexperienced people who don't know what the hell they are doing and have little opportunity to learn from veterans, and antisocial types who don't care about high case loads because it means nothing to them to abuse their authority and treat people like cattle on an assembly line. This has turned the MCFD into a cruel organization, and good outreach workers at shelters usually avoid calling them at all costs because the worker - usually some young overstressed graduate in way over their head - will just completely screw everything up.

  • Takuan

    2 years ago

    "Are there not

    workhouses!?"

  • barney

    2 years ago

    "[Governments] seem

    "[Governments] seem incapable of appointing anyone who has a background in child welfare, social services," Young says, pointing her finger at the previous New Democratic Party (NDP) government as well.

    Young is right. Most organizations have a hard enough time with experienced, qualified people at the helm. It's not rocket science to deduce that a huge bureaucracy led by a politician with zero front line experience/qualifications is generally going to fail at the job, and fail hard if they refuse to heed to advice of commissions and expert child & youth advocates.

    The ongoing crisis at MCFD cuts across political ideologies suggesting a much deeper, structural problem.

    Is it time to rethink who we appoint to run certain ministries under our parliamentary system? Would it not be prudent for a government to draw from a pool of qualified unelected experts, and appoint one of them as minister? Someone who has a proven record in both child protection, social work and dealing with the political bureaucracy? Would the public who voted in a government really feel betrayed if an unelected expert like Turpel-Lafond or Richard Sullivan were appointed minister of a life-and-death portfolio like MCFD? Given the track record of elected ministers, I think not. I think the public has been demanding proper leadership and accountability regarding this ministry for the past three decades.

    Commission reports have proven to be little more than window dressing because their recommendations rarely get implemented in earnest. Ministers like Polak have proven to be little more than inexperienced talking heads, shills for governments that are big on appearance and not reality.

    If governments are not going to take their advocates like Turpel-Lafond seriously, then what good are these advocates to ministries and policy makers? Talk about wasted money & expertise.

  • Polakite

    2 years ago

    Hi, this is the Polak Affairs Bureau

    So if you believe MCFD Min Mary Polak is a child of Satan and if you believe in good you vote BCNDP, STOP READING.

    That said, this is overall a rather good piece of work. I agree "stop the turnover of Ministers" - that's why MCFD Min Mary Polak is there. She is a hardened warrior, the best BC has got for this assignment. Oh and get this, now hear this: Mary Polak VOLUNTEERED for the job: http://www.publiceyeonline.com/archives/003993.html

    She's working wonders where so many have failed. To those whom want to give more for MCFD, what tax would you raise? Just askin'!

  • Skywalker

    2 years ago

    Yup, "She's working wonders"

    Certainly evident by the article.

  • Skywalker

    2 years ago

    and barney

    Somehow quoting from somebody who worked for MCFD from 2000 to 2008 and isn't really really qualified as an expert on what was done under the NDP who created the first MCFD doesn't really work all that well as a comparison.

  • Adam M

    2 years ago

    barney

    Quote:
    Is it time to rethink who we appoint to run certain ministries under our parliamentary system? Would it not be prudent for a government to draw from a pool of qualified unelected experts, and appoint one of them as minister?

    They've done this in other democracies, including ones with a culture of corruption like in BC. The specialist ministers of Italy come to mind...

  • barney

    2 years ago

    Adam

    I'm not sure what other democracies, like Italy, do, but could BC really be doing much worse than the string of failed elected MCFD ministers by appointing one with a proven background in the field? You're never going to fix all corruption, but you have to start somewhere. Clearly, the MCFD status quo, under both NDP and Liberals has been a dismal failure. My sense is that front line worker frustration stems, in large part, from the politicization of children & youth issues, and with social workers in my family who have worked under both NDP and Liberal versions of MCFD, there is, I'm told, little to distinguish one era from the other.

  • Grania

    2 years ago

    Barney

    There is a great deal to distinguish between the NDP and Liberal versions of MCFD. The statistics on the rock bottom quality of life for BC families today...the statistics on the number of children seriously injured...or dead...under this government. The performance of duToit compared to the practical and innovative leadership of Ross Dawson. I will admit, however, that the delivery of social services and child protection services was much better before the Vancouver Resources Board was demolished and those workers became civil servants. The motive was to "stanardize" services in the province. It worked. Vancouver became just as much of a mess as the rest of BC. It appears that civil servants are gagged under the Oath of Confidentiality and their main focus is to protect a dysfunctional system from the top down .

  • Polakite

    2 years ago

    I guess you have NO PLAN to make things better

    Seriously.

    No idea for new revenue.

    No idea on resolving the deadlock surrounding the centuries of tradition around cabinet confidentiality.

    No idea to tell Mary Polak how to do her job better.

    That is the BCNDP, that is the Tyee, that is the BC left for you.

    I hope I'm the dense one, but I doubt it.

  • Frank

    2 years ago

    Polakite

    Your post above doesn't make sense. What cabinet deadlock are you talking about?

    Why do you talk about the need for new revenue when it was your government that cut many of the old revenue streams? Surely your guys own calculators and could have realized what happens when you cut revenue? But considering how our debt is around 100 billion now I already know the answer to that one.

    As for telling Ms Polak how to do her job better, there's plenty of people that have held her job and done better. My advice to her is do what they did.

  • G West

    2 years ago

    As for Ms Polak

    Maybe some readers have forgotten this:
    http://thetyee.ca/Blogs/TheHook/BC-Politics/2010/04/30/RightInfo/

    But they couldn't have forgotten the one million dollars she wasted on a quixotic and hateful attack on gay people could they?

  • bcliberals_suck

    2 years ago

    The Truth Stings

    Skywalker wrote:

    "Somehow quoting from somebody who worked for MCFD from 2000 to 2008 and isn't really really qualified as an expert on what was done under the NDP who created the first MCFD doesn't really work all that well as a comparison."

    Must have hit a sore spot with the NDP comment. Are you somehow psychic about what experience the people in the article have to comment on?

    Yah, who would question the NDP, after all, they put Mable Elmore, a great gal and former _bus driver_ onto the child welfare file as a Deputy Critic. Now Mable can make anything work, of that there is no doubt, but why didn't the NDP brain trust put her into transportation, or labour, or ... all of the other areas she has real experience and expertise in?

    Someone else nailed it - child welfare has to be de-politicized and non-partisan. And funded and staffed with competent, ethical people.

    Josef - Please stop, you are NOT helping Mary, in fact, it almost seems like you are setting out to make her look like a fool. She doesn't deserve that.

    There isn't a doubt that she probably did "volunteer" for the MCFD cabinet post. She is a woman who isn't afraid to take on unpopular and difficult tasks and stand by her convictions, no matter how unpopular or unsophisticated. She could never, in her wildest nightmares know what was awaiting her, none of the Ministers do. And then they meet Lesley Du Toit, easily the lamest duck Deputy Minister, in the history of lame ducks. And then Mary has to keep making excuses for Du Toit. It's taken out a few other Ministers, Mary will not likely be any different. Du Toit reports to Gordon Campbell's office, not Mary. She will do what she is told. They both have the same boss. They know where their bread is buttered and they will continue to carry out the neoCon agenda as directed no matter the cost. And their actions WILL be remembered, we will be living with the consequences for generations to come.

  • Grania

    2 years ago

    Richard Sullivan for Director

    I suggest that the Child Advocate appoint the Director of MCFD...and that politicians have no power to intervene or to direct. I suggest that community boards (as VRB) work on community budgets for service delivery. Every community is different afterall and Victoria cannot/should not dictate for Prince Rupert. I strongly suggest every community get their RECALL petitions ready to go in November!

  • Frank

    2 years ago

    The NDP

    When the NDP was in power and Mathew V died, the Vancouver Sun's Trevor Lautens said the NDP had lost its right to govern and should resign. And he said that at the end of every column.

    In spite of there being many Mathew V's under the Libs we don't read the Libs should resign do we?

  • Skywalker

    2 years ago

    This makes sense

    From bcliberals_suck: "Yah, who would question the NDP, after all, they put Mable Elmore, a great gal and former _bus driver_ onto the child welfare file as a Deputy Critic. Now Mable can make anything work, of that there is no doubt, but why didn't the NDP brain trust put her into transportation, or labour, or ... all of the other areas she has real experience and expertise in?"

    We were talking about experience with the NDP from 2000 to middle of 2001 and the Liberals up to 2008. Now what does Mable Elmore have to do with the NDP in 2000? I agree it is a pretty difficult concept.

  • joeskrlac

    2 years ago

    child welfare consulting fees

    IT Seems rather odd that the Minister of child welfare can find $20,000 for consulting fee or $60,000 for three months. and for what.

    so needy children must suffer more at our so called government for the people.
    They sure forgot or turned a blind eyes to children on welfare or special needs.
    Shame on the Minister of children welfare,
    shame on the Campbell Gov't MLA's that won't stand up for these children

  • Polakite

    2 years ago

    @bcliberals_suck

    I don't care for your handle, but thanks for the kind words about Mary P. :-).

    "There isn't a doubt that she probably did "volunteer" for the MCFD cabinet post. She is a woman who isn't afraid to take on unpopular and difficult tasks and stand by her convictions, no matter how unpopular or unsophisticated."

    That's why I'm proud to be her wingman, so to speak. One year ago today the three-peat was well worth the long hours on YouTube and the like.

  • Skywalker

    2 years ago

    Is that why?

    The MCFD is having to defend its position in court against Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond? I wondered about that. It must also be about the great job Polak is doing. Why else would one go to the supreme court to get a ruling about disclosure?

  • Polakite

    2 years ago

    @Skywalker

    There is a fundamental issue here. It's called cabinet confidentiality. Something bound by decades of tradition - not Mary Polak's ego, actions, et al. Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond wants basically to take cabinet docs and leak them at will, which kills cabinet confidentiality (and cabinet solidarity by extension) in principle. Min Polak, MLA is honour-bound to defend those things.

    It's also damn time the courts weighed in. Same thing w/ homosexual tolerance in Surrey - Min Polak, MLA was honour bound to her constituents to press forward, she was able to quash the particular books and then put better books using the judicial guidance.

    This is a fight worth having. Sorry Min Polak, but I sure feel that way.

  • Frank

    2 years ago

    Polakite

    I'm happy to learn you think your strange youtube videos elected the Libs. However, while you're patting yourself on the back, when was the last time a non-rightwing politician won in Polak's riding?

    I offer up an alternative view that says Polak would win her riding even if there were more of you.

  • G West

    2 years ago

    She was honour bound to look out for children - she's failed

    IN Surrey Mary Polak and Heather Stilwell were on a homophobic witch hunt - she is not defending children when she defends so called cabinet confidentiality and keeps vital investigative information from and INDEPENDENT OFFICER OF THE LEGISLATURE.
    There is simply NO Excuse for her irresponsible and reprehensible behavior.

    The suggestion that an esoteric concept which has no credence in many countries that have much better child services than Canada or British Columbia does is offensive and absurd.

  • Polakite

    2 years ago

    @Frank

    It wasn't about one riding, it was about 85.

  • Polakite

    2 years ago

    @G West

    Personally, I welcome your views.

    The problem is you can't just decide to be Her Maryesty Mary Polak of Langley and toss hundreds of years of British Commonwealth tradition and law over the side so some nonpartisan legislative officer can publish cabinet secrets.

    Big difference between her and I.

    Oh and re: Surrey... we've had this discussion: http://thetyee.ca/Blogs/TheHook/BC-Politics/2010/04/21/FacebookWilson/

  • Frank

    2 years ago

    Polakite

    So you also believe you helped elect Campbell, Falcon and Coleman. Strange, you don't talk about them much so I was led to believe you were a Polakite and not a supporter of all 85 Liberal nominees.

  • poetryonearth

    2 years ago

    a sector dominated by financial fear

    The intense financial fragility of the front line service providers puts everyone in a place of being ruled by the pay cheque. I applaud the author's thorough and accurate descriptions and research. More social workers need to be able to step up to their role as constituents in a democracy without fear of job loss, or funding cuts.

    Governmental leaders are turning way from their own reports and denying the hard science behind the experts.

    I would strongly encourage anyone who has left MCFD to run for pubic office, with lots of support !

  • G West

    2 years ago

    Years of British Tradition

    You might care to ask David Cameron and Nick Clegg about that. They seem to be throwing out British Traditions with a sense of reckless abandon.

    As for paying more than lip service to traditions and laws, Campbell and his gang 'o thieves can't even keep their OWN promises let alone pay more than lip service to traditions and practices that don't happen to agree with their dyspeptic view of what government is all about.

    These characters couldn't care less for the public, the public interest, or "British Parliamentary Tradition" whatever the hell THAT is. Anyone who knows ANYTHING about the British system of government would be aware of one vital fact – BRITAIN DOES NOT EVEN HAVE A WRITTEN CONSTITUTION.

    As for being honest, upfront and disingenuous about her own intentions, hopes and desires, I suggest you read Mary Polak and Heather Stilwell again from this interview with David Beers:
    http://thetyee.ca/Views/2004/09/10/SilenceSexCandidate/

  • Skywalker

    2 years ago

    Cabinet Confidentiality

    If wrapping oneself in the flag is last gasp of a scoundrel then "Cabinet confidentiality" is the last defense of a person with something to hide. As GWest said, "It's about children" not protecting an already tarnished minister of the government. Mind you what can you expect form Polak.

  • G West

    2 years ago

    Skywalker

    I learned this morning that Madame Justice Turpel-Lafond is appearing in BC Supreme Court today to challenge Mary Polak and the Campbell Government.

    I wish her well, as, I'm sure, do you.

  • Skywalker

    2 years ago

    G West

    Right on!

  • bcliberals_suck

    2 years ago

    The Real Stories

    FYI. Mary can't be blamed for the CIHR program. This has been a parallel, unmonitored, underground foster care system for a long time. It's not exactly a secret. Only it's much better, because it was much, much cheaper, so there was some definite cost savings for governments.

    Mary isn't even really responsible for the release of the cabinet info. People keep forgetting, or are unaware that everything is run out of the Premier's office, remember him, that clown and his merry henchmen and women.

    Josef wrote: "Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond wants basically to take cabinet docs and leak them at will, which kills cabinet confidentiality (and cabinet solidarity by extension) in principle."

    That is offensive on so many levels and you should apologize for saying such a thing and insulting her and the people of BC.

    The Representative is a judge, an officer of the court and in BC, she is an officer of the legislature. She is trying to fulfill the mandate of her office. It is in the interests of the public for MCFD's machinations and plots for the future to be known and reported upon by the Representative as she carries out her legal mandate. There is a vast difference between those things and the offensive nonsense you've spouted.

  • G West

    2 years ago

    Mary Polak is the minister

    She is, by definition, responsible.

    The fact she's trying to hobble a independent officer of the legislature in the process of doing her job is all one needs to know about this case.

    I don't disagree that the current status of every minister in Campbell's CEO government is low - or that the important decisions are made on the Premier's credenza - however, that is beside the point. If Mary Polak doesn't like being the Premier's 'skin puppet' (and that's the label the Public Affairs Bureau honchos apply to their ministerial bosses) then she knows what to do.

    She can quit at any time....

  • bcliberals_suck

    2 years ago

    G West said: "If Mary Polak

    G West said: "If Mary Polak doesn't like being the Premier's 'skin puppet' (and that's the label the Public Affairs Bureau honchos apply to their ministerial bosses) then she knows what to do."

    "Skin puppet" Oh that just cracks me up. Wow, I think PAB moved up a degree to me. Bwahahaha.
    I've always called them the bobble heads, they just bounce and nod.

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