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
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