Adviser’s hiring a ‘PR move’
Chief questions selection of ‘busy’ former NDP cabinet minister
It was a “PR move” by Premier Christy Clark to name an ex-NDP cabinet minister as senior adviser on aboriginal child welfare last September, says a Fraser Valley First Nation chief.
“What was going through their heads?” asked Chief Ernie Crey of the Cheam First Nation.
“I could’ve told them this man is so busy. Do you realize how busy this man is?”
The B.C. government hired Grand Chief Edward John on a six-month, $110,000 contract in early September to help address the issue of the disproportionate number of aboriginal minors in provincial care.
A news release said John would submit monthly reports to Children and Family Development Minister Stephanie Cadieux “to inform of progress” and “identify barriers and strategies to address them.”
However, a Freedom of Information request for the monthly reports came back with just a fourpage project status report.
The earliest record of any activity was Oct. 20, when a letter signed by John and Cadieux was sent to all chiefs and nations. The document said as of Nov. 30 work continued to confirm John’s scope and develop a schedule.
John, a First Nations Summit executive, is in New York this week at United Nations meetings on the preservation of indigenous languages and did not respond to interview requests.
He was also in Paris in late November at climate change talks related to his role on the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
In addition to the Oct. 20 letter, the status report showed a dozen meetings from Oct. 29 to Nov. 25, listed under “Grand Chief Engagement Tracking,” with five First Nations and service groups, federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett and B.C. NDP critic the approximately 2,800 children in permanent care who come from their respective communities.”
Donaldson said the job is too big for one person with other commitments in such a short period of time.
“Ed John made it clear this was not going to be his full-time work during that six months,” Donaldson said.
“If this is the response by (Cadieux) and the Christy Clark government to the issue of such a horrific over-representation of aboriginal kids in care, it’s wholly inadequate.”
Aboriginals make up 60 per cent of children in care, but only five per cent of B.C.’s population.
John, a lawyer and Tl’azt’en Nation hereditary chief, spent six months as a minister under former premier Ujjal Dosanjh. He is married to exMusqueam chief Wendy GrantJohn. Her son from a previous marriage is Wade Grant, Clark’s special adviser on First Nations issues. Doug Donaldson.
Donaldson said John helped Wet’suwet’en leaders obtain lists of children in provincial care they had been unable to access from the ministry.
“That was a very positive outcome,” Donaldson said.
Ministry spokesman Bill Anderson said Cadieux is “supportive of the grand chief’s preferences regarding the format and frequency of his updates to both her and the deputy minister.”
A final report is expected at the end of his term. He will be compensated for the $625-a-day contract upon receipt of his invoice and the term may be extended.
A statement from the First Nations Summit, attributed to John, said: “My total focus, in my capacity as special adviser to the Minister of MCFD on aboriginal child welfare, is meeting with parents, families and the 203 B.C. First Nations communities, and their leaders, on permanency planning for each of