June 21, 1996
(House of Assembly)


The following is being distibuted at the request of The Select Committee on Children's Interests:

Chair responds to comments by Federation of Labour President

"I found the criticisms of the president of the Federation of Labour to our plan for a child and youth advocate interesting. It really shows that she has either not read the report or not understood what she read." says Gerald Smith who chaired the Select Committee on Children's Interests.

Mr. Smith was responding to comments made by Federation of Labour President, Elaine Price, in the Friday edition of The Evening Telegram. Ms. Price criticized the report's recommendation for a primarily "systems" advocate. She slammed the report as subscribing to the "right-wing corporate agenda" and that it was "tailored to suit Mr. Tobin's government's obsession with the bottom line."

"The report clearly states that the advocate would have responsibility for individual advocacy. It clearly states that the advocate would be empowered to accept requests for individual advocacy on a case by case basis. Furthermore, the committee recommends that the advocate be instructed to review its own mandate each year and to recommend to the House of Assembly any changes such as a regional office structure to permit a greater case advocacy role," Smith says.

"It is a credit to committee members, both Liberal and Conservative, that we have given the House of Assembly and the provincial government a set of realistic objectives to accomplish, set within a framework for implementation. The report clearly sets out new programs, new organizational structures and new responsibilities for nongovernmental organizations to work in funded partnership with government. These new initiatives will enable us to respond to the needs of our young people. We certainly do have the courage of our convictions. Our report responds to the needs of the province's children as they were articulated by the vast majority of the presenters to the public consultations," Smith says.

Contact: Richard Abraham, 729-2683

1996 06 21 12:35 p. m.
 

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