NDP accuses province of hiding problems in child welfare system
Last Updated: Monday, October 20, 2008 | 5:28 PM MT
CBC News
NDP MLA Rachel Notley accused the province Monday of failing to protect children in care and trying to hide problems with the child welfare system from the public.
Children's Services Minister Janis Tarchuk tabled the last three annual reports from Alberta's Child and Youth Advocate in the legislature last Tuesday, the first day of the fall sitting and the day of the federal election.
Notley said the reports point to unsafe or inappropriate placements for children in care, a lack of ability to move children out of bad environments and failure to protect children who are alleged victims of sexual abuse.
The tabling of three years' worth of reports at once shows the government tried to keep the information from the public, said Notley.
"The fact that these reports all came together three in a row with the ministry's response nicely tied up beside it, although I would say not that effectively, on the morning of the federal election goes to show that there was a certain amount of political planning in terms of the release of this information," she said.
Instead of reporting to the minister, the Children's Advocate should report to the legislature, Notley said, which would allow for the information to be released without first being reviewed and possibly edited by ministry officials.
Tarchuk plans to comment publicly on the reports on Tuesday.
Share Tools
Latest Calgary News Headlines
- "Catastrophic" crash kills 1
- Emergency crews are on the scene of a fatal motor vehicle crash along Highway 8 and Range Road 34, just west of Calgary. more »
- Calgary Marathon to cause detours, delays
- The Calgary Marathon will cause a number of traffic detours and delays in the city over the weekend. more »
- 2nd Huntington Hills victim in serious condition, police say
- The second victim of a violent N.E. attack that killed one person is now listed at being in serious condition at hospital. more »
- St. Stephen's church to sell pulpit, pews
- The 117-year-old church is selling its pulpit and pews, with all proceeds going towards refurbishing the church. more »
Must Watch
Top News Headlines
- Toronto mayor's brother says he never dealt drugs
- The brother of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has vehemently denied allegations in Saturday's Globe and Mail that he was involved in the illicit drug trade in the 1980s. more »
- Hockey Canada votes to ban bodychecking in peewee hockey
- Hockey Canada's board of directors voted to eliminate bodychecking from peewee-level hockey on Saturday in Charlottetown. more »
- Neil Macdonald: How serious is Obama about curbing the drone surge?
- In a key speech this week, the U.S. president set out a host of supposed new safeguards for America's controversial practice of remote-controlled rough justice. But as Neil Macdonald writes, the underlying rationale for drone use has not fundamentally changed. more »
- Ontario man lost in Australian mountains has survival skills
- The sister of an Ontario man who disappeared in Australia's Snowy Mountains nearly two weeks ago says she remains hopeful he will be found, partly because of his training as a Canadian Forces reservist. more »
- 1 person dead, another in hospital after violent N.E. attack
- Heavy rainfall in southern Alberta prompts water advisories
- Loblaw company recalls President's Choice juice
- "Catastrophic" crash kills 1
- Muslim leader weighs in on recent extremist attacks
- 2nd woman charged in Gleichen homicide
- Ex-Stampeder Joffrey Reynolds faces jail, deportation
- 5 things to do in Calgary this week
- Calgary Marathon to cause detours, delays

