The following statement was issued today by Premier Roger Grimes. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

Today, with the concurrence of the Leader of the Opposition and the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi, I will move that Lloyd L.W. Wicks be appointed as the province�s first child and youth advocate effective September 16, 2002.

I wish to inform the House that this proposed appointment has been made, as I indicated, by agreement of all parties. The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate is independent of the provincial government and reports directly to the House of Assembly. The legislation establishing the child and youth advocate received royal assent in the House of Assembly on December 13, 2001 and is being proclaimed effective today. The advocate will focus on public programs and services that have an impact on children and youth under 19. The advocate will also review enquiries and complaints from individual children and youth, up until the age of 21, for youth who are in care or custody until the age of 19.

The announcement of the child and youth advocate today is another step in fulfilling the commitments that I made to the people of the province to improve accessibility to government while protecting the rights and privacy of individuals. Last year, my government also appointed a citizens� representative and a petroleum products pricing commissioner. I believe that over the past year, government has introduced more initiatives to provide openness and accountability than any other government during any time in our history.

Judge Wicks was first appointed as a provincial court judge in 1963. He became the province�s first youth court judge in 1984 and remained in this position until his retirement from the bench in 1993. He has a long and distinguished career in promoting and ensuring that the "best interest of the child" is paramount in any decision made on the behalf of the child. He promoted this philosophy both in his professional role as a judge and as a volunteer. Since his retirement from the bench, Judge Wicks has continued to demonstrate his commitment to the protection, fulfillment and enrichment of children through his involvement in a wide range of community interests groups.

We look forward to having Judge Wicks serve this legislature and the people of the province in his new role as child and youth advocate.

News Release

2002 05 13                              2:15 p.m.