Boycott of child welfare panel ends

‘Significant changes have been made’

Alberta’s opposition parties have ended their boycott of an all-party panel investigating the child intervention system, after securing some changes from the NDP government.

“We are relieved to see that our serious concerns raised about the scope of this all-party panel were considered, and that some significant changes have been made,” said a joint statement Thursday from Wildrose Leader Brian Jean, interim Progressive Conservative leader Ric McIver, Alberta Party Leader Greg Clark and interim Liberal leader David Swann.

Last week, the four men appeared together to say they were united in rejecting the panel format proposed by Human Services Minister Irfan Sabir, with McIver calling it a “sham vehicle for a government bent on whitewashing the incompetence of at least two of its minsters.”

They demanded the panel oversee the implementation of recommendations from past child intervention system reviews, investigate the status of the internal reviews of the 38 children who have died in care since May 2015, hold the meetings in public and ensure whistleblower protection for all front-line workers and managers.

As well, they asked for Sabir to be removed as a member so he could be questioned by the panel.

Concerns about Alberta’s child welfare system have been at the forefront of the legislature since mid-November when Postmedia columnist Paula Simons revealed details about the 2014 death of Serenity, a four-year-old First Nations girl who died in government-supervised “kinship care” in 2014, and lengthy delays in investigating her death.

In their statement Thursday, the four opposition leaders said the NDP has made progress on enough of their requests.

“In particular, there is strengthened language for the panel about past recommendations, and prioritizing their implementation,” the statement said. “We have received assurances that protection for frontline workers who wish to appear before the committee will be in place and full legislative whistleblower protections will be offered.”

Sabir will remain as an ex officio member of the panel.

We are relieved to see that our serious concerns raised about the scope of this all-party panel were considered ...