Opinion

Broken Promises Pile Up

Add kids with autism to folks double-crossed by Campbell government.

By Bill Tieleman, 29 Sep 2009, TheTyee.ca

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As good as their word.

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"A BC Liberal government will increase emphasis on early childhood intervention programs for families with special needs children." -- BC Liberal Party election platform, 2001

Whether it's cutting autism treatment programs, slashing public libraries, chopping school athletic activities or shutting down arts funding, the B.C. Liberal government has made one thing clear: believe nothing it says.

Last week, Ministry of Children and Families Minister Mary Polak announced that a $5 million early and intensive intervention program for children with autism will be killed in January.

Polak claimed the move came because "we were not seeing any appreciable improvements in the outcomes for those kids" and that the money would be redistributed to increase funding for other autism programs.

But parents of about 70 children in the program furiously disagree with her assessment, saying it's dead wrong.

Victoria mother Nicole Strong calls the BC Liberal move "devastating" for her three-year-old son Isaac.

"For them to say that there would be no appreciable difference when you actually get 13 hours more of therapy [a week] is ridiculous," Strong says.

And then Autism Society of B.C. president Michael Lewis pointed out the additional $2,000 per year redirected from early intervention to other programs barely covers the extra cost that imposing the Harmonized Sales Tax will have on families using autism services!

This after B.C. Liberals also said in 2005 they would: "Build the best system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities, special needs, children at risk and seniors."

Crushed and discarded

It's the same story everywhere -- Premier Gordon Campbell and his government breaking their word faster than a bull in a china shop turns tea cups into trash.

Here's another classic Campbell quote from November 4, 2006: "And we also plan to invest in playgrounds and places that celebrate the arts and physical activities."

But now Campbell has cut arts funding almost 90 per cent by 2011, from $19.5 million to just $2.25 million.

Says William Gibson, the acclaimed B.C. science fiction author of Neuromancer: "This is governance guaranteed to rot the fabric of our province's future."

And Campbell's government just eliminated the entire $130,000 B.C. School Sports funding that allows the group to organize athletic programs at every high school in the province.

But don't worry. Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid says young athletes can cope by: "Doing more walking or dancing or playing in parks."

Said B.C. School Sports executive director Sue Keenan: "We never in our wildest dreams ever imagined this province would cut us totally."

Perhaps that's because while Campbell may believe the words he says at the time, his actions show it's hard to imagine he believes in anything.

Mad about the HST?

My NO BC HST protest group on is now at 125,000 people -- join the crowd! [Tyee]

Bill Tieleman is a regular Tyee contributor who writes a column on B.C. politics every Tuesday in 24 Hours newspaper. Tieleman can be heard Mondays at 10 a.m. on the Bill Good Show on CKNW AM 980 or at www.cknw.com. E-mail him at weststar@telus.net or visit his blog.

24 Comments:

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  • Polakite

    2 years ago

    Bill Tieleman is a spin doctor...

    Just like me.

    So he's going to say inaccurate things like... wait for it... "the additional $2,000 per year redirected from early intervention to other programs barely covers the extra cost that imposing the Harmonized Sales Tax will have on families using autism services!" This is untrue - plz see http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/autism/pdf/Response%20to%20Concern_Sept%2009%20FNL2.pdf where the Ministry explains that going to invoice payment is to ensure w/o a doubt NO HST on autistic kids. It took me a while to track this sucker down, but this one's For the Glory of Mary!

  • Polakite

    2 years ago

    Another spin from our dear NDP friend :-)

    "A BC Liberal government will increase emphasis on early childhood intervention programs for families with special needs children." -- BC Liberal Party election platform, 2001

    True and promise kept. No kidding!

    Minister Polak herself said in her "Back in Black" speech - and the relevant part is at the link starting at 5:05 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8trlU9H2ghc so you can check the quote: "When we took office, there were only a few hundred children with autism who were provided with government funding to give them service — only a few hundred. Right now in British Columbia there are 6,000 children with autism being served through our funding".

    I think for Bill to call Premier Campbell a liar is quite rich. The Premier is telling the truth. No, this is all about Victoria cuts when a group wants more and the gov't says not so much so now the gap's a cut.

    Bill, you're a good spin doctor. But w/ comment threads, we can unspin the truth.

  • Polakite

    2 years ago

    Now, here's where to sack Premier Campbell...

    and penetrate the pocket of de Jong and Coleman trying to block.

    Try the millions in government waste instead of EIBI. I just wanted to make that distinction. The Ministry - not just the Minister - has bad data.

    Well was said by a great socialist - Ron Sims - "The greatest threat to democracy is bad information. Good government is based on good information. Good government is based on the facts."

    I'll let the Tyee regulars pop on in here. I think I left them an opening w/ 3 letters.

  • Jeffrey J.

    2 years ago

    Freedom of Speech Welcome

    Its so refreshing to read critics of the neocon status quo, after year after year after year of the pablum published by BC's media monopoly/oligarchy (CanWestGlobal et al). Thinking about how many times I had to read and watch that pap before I finally turned off our TV for good makes me upset (a very good idea, BTW).

    Authors like Mr. Tieleman and many others bring such a ray of light and honesty to an otherwise dark, dreary corporate landscape.

    Thank you Mr. Tieleman for standing up for what it means to live in a democracy: critiquing elites; objecting to powerful interests, speaking out. And thank you Tyee for creating the forum where this can occur.

  • freebear

    2 years ago

    More reasons to vote Liberal?

    Will enough liberals be tired of the bum f..k from the provinicial Liberal government?

    Or are enough still going to the Owelimpic tax payer funded party?

  • G West

    2 years ago

    Umm, not exactly

    Like Mary Polak and Heather Stilwell, Polakite too has problems with reading and comprehension...

    Here's the actual quote from the ministry's pdf:

    Quote:
    The introduction of HST in July, 2010, is another issue of some concern. It is clear that if parents were to remain on Direct Funding, they would be required to pay the HST in instances where GST is payable. However, government anticipates that as a result of the shift to Invoice Payment, families will not be impacted by the HST.

    I'd ask you, Polakite, to consider the meaning of the word 'anticipates' - in conjunction with the facts of the HST administration protocols.

    You might think that parents of autistic kids are prepared to accept the promises of a minister who burned up $1 million of taxpayers money in Surrey for the future actions of another whole level of government...I suspect those parents are going to be a lot more skeptical.

    Nothing Mary Polak says can be believed - despite what her loving acolytes might post anywhere....

    Just another broken promise - to add to an already too long list.

    Mary Polak is, as Frank pointed out yesterday, done like dinner!

  • Iain MacGregor

    2 years ago

    the real tax cuts and the hst

    I just read with interest that former BC Liberal finance minister Carol Taylor has been hired by the TD Bank. The announcement was made by the TD Bank Financial Group on Aug. 27th in Toronto.

    In her last tabled budget of Feb.18, 2008, then finance minister Taylor - before quitting politics - said she was wiping out BC’s corporation capital taxes. Apparently, a much hated tax by big banks.

    One of the reasons given by the BC Liberals for implementing the HST is that their revenues from corporate taxes is lower-than-expected.

  • dave49

    2 years ago

    Never a promise unbroken

    Never a promise unbroken - that says it all.

  • Polakite

    2 years ago

    Free speech is grand....

    so we can sortie to counter the spin from Polak Air Base, Langley, BC in our CF-18s!

  • Polakite

    2 years ago

    G West...

    The HST excemption should go through - it's a matter of lawyering at this point. I know you HATE Mary Polak, so I discount your comments as such.

  • mikwan

    2 years ago

    That letter is quite vague,

    That letter is quite vague, "anticipate" families will not be impacted? What does that mean? I haven't heard of any exemptions for Autistic service providers?

    That aside, the program is extremely effective, and if you have doubts, I challenge you to ask someone who has personally been involved and get their first hand opinion instead of the political hear-say. The program should be expanded not dismantled. Not everyone has the same access to the Children's hospital, it doesn't mean we shut it down and give all other hospitals a tiny slice of the savings do we?

  • onthebay

    2 years ago

    Ducking and Diving

    I was going to discuss what “anticipates” can mean, but I see G West has done this very well. I do wonder, however, how many other groups will cry foul over this “anticipated” HST exemption if those groups aren’t in line to receive any exemption.

    Take your pick! Spin can say that funding for children with autism has increased because it has gone from $20,000 to $22,000. Or spin can say that funding for autism has decreased because the overall amount spent under the “old” system is less than the overall amount spent under the “new” system. For example, 70 children at $70,000 and 800 children at $20,000 = about $21 million, is less than 870 children at $22,000. = about $19 million.

    By the time this government is finished ducking and diving and moving and hiding their budget cuts and shuffles there won’t be any way to find direct comparisons to how things were within even their own stint in power, let alone comparisons to how the previous government did. In the meantime, how many other good programs are going by the wayside?

  • Polakite

    2 years ago

    onthebay proves my point...

    All most regulars measure is public inputs, not quality of service. The minister is spreading the money around and unlike Rich Coleman or Kevin Falcon doesn't have the special interest pull to get FULL EIBI funding too.

    Yes, this is more of a loaf for more kids... but for those on EIBI they have less than the full loaf they had. There you go for now.

    Enuf said.

  • Frank

    2 years ago

    Polakite

    Does your Mary Polak have an opinion on the Mufford Overpass? That's a big issue in Langley isn't it? Has Coleman had anything to say? What's your opinion?

    And by the way, you're not serious about wanting your leadership to be "hot" are you?

  • FacebookChris

    2 years ago

    Program (not funding) cuts unbelievable

    To Polakite: Hi, Josef K. As I've said before, as an American from Skagitt Valley, you are certainly entitled to your opinion.

    However, as I have also said before, as a BC taxpayer, I have a different opinion.

    Let's tackle your statements.

    (1) imposing the Harmonized Sales Tax will have on families using autism services!" This is untrue.

    The link you gave says DOES NOT SAY the HST won't be applied. It says something quite different.

    However, government anticipates that as a result of the shift to Invoice Payment, families will not be impacted by the HST.

    Would this be the same government that didn't anticipate a deficit higher than 495 Million? Would this be the same government that didn't anticipate the HST would be imposed at all? Would this be the same government that didn't anticipate grants to childrens sports wouldn't have to be taken away?

    There are a lot of things this government "didn't anticipate", but to all our regret, have come true.

    (2) When we took office, there were only a few hundred children with autism who were provided with government funding to give them service — only a few hundred. Right now in British Columbia there are 6,000 children with autism being served through our funding

    (3) The facts - $5 million in current EIBI programs save $175 million in future health costs. $56 million to treat all children would save $2 billion. Cost to the taxpayer to save this program - $0, funds are being redistributed. Cost to future taxpayers of this decision - $175 million.

    Chris.
    This is true. The real tragedy of this story is that the BC Liberals, up until this decision, really have done a good job of caring for autistic children than previous governments. It is tragic that they are destroying an admirable legacy with this really poorly thought out decision that Minister Polak is making.

  • Polakite

    2 years ago

    Facebook Chris

    I agree w/ what you're saying.

  • G West

    2 years ago

    Polakite

    What ARE you talking about?
    The administration of the HST is a FEDERAL matter - the province is signing over the whole balliwick to Harper. Did Mary not let you know?
    Colin Hansen has admitted publicly several times since the CEO told him to sign up for the HST that he can't promise anything and it has less than nothing to do with lawyers....the policy is set by Revenue Canada.
    These idiots have given up the right to collect the tax, determine what is exempt, and set the rates as long as this little boondoggle in in effect.
    By the way, hate doesn't come into it, I could care less what Heather Stilwell and her amanuensis Mary Polack believe, where they go to church or who they pray to - these people are incompetent. The record of the Campbell government shows that the whole lot of them couldn't run a volunteer bake sale without giving someone food poisoning.
    You're actually sounding a lot like Jordan Bateman this morning.

  • Polakite

    2 years ago

    G West...

    Well, Jordan Bateman is at Disneyworld according to his Twitter feed. Otherwise, keep talking.

  • onthebay

    2 years ago

    Flu and Jello

    Are my flu meds getting to me or is this discussion like pinning jello to the wall?

  • Skywalker

    2 years ago

    Ignore Polakite.

    I don't think even he knows what he's talking about but that seems to be his purpose.

  • Tony Martinson

    2 years ago

    Not that I would ever suggest someone is trolling

    Doesn't this site have a trolling policy?

  • seth

    2 years ago

    bateman

    can it be he's posting on the innernet from disneyland. Gee who'da thought

  • Polakite

    2 years ago

    Just so you know...

    Jordan Bateman is Rich Coleman's guy.

    Rich Coleman wants the Premiership (possibly).

    I want Mary Polak as Premier (obviously).

    Stop smearing my man Jordan, will ya?

  • crankypants

    2 years ago

    Polakite

    Why hitch yourself to any sitting Liberal MLA? Next election they will be able to hold their meetings in a phone booth with room to spare for catering.

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