NDP Block Independent Review for Children in Care
NDP exclude experts from committee membership: Stone
WINNIPEG — NDP families minister Nahanni Fontaine blocked a motion this afternoon to create an independent subcommittee of the Manitoba Legislature to review The Advocate for Children and Youth Act, Lauren Stone, PC Critic for Families, shared today.
“I was disappointed walking out of today’s Committee Meeting,” said Stone. “I brought forward a motion to create a nonpartisan, expert-guided subcommittee to do justice to this complicated and important review. I expected unanimous support. When it comes to children in care, we as legislators have to go the extra mile.”
The subcommittee proposed by Stone would have consisted of a member from each elected party, along with relevant subject-matter experts. The subcommittee would have had the authority to call its own meetings and undertake duties that it deemed necessary for the review. The NDP, however, chose to block the nonpartisan subcommittee and treat this Act review like any other bill committee in the legislature.
“The subcommittee process I proposed is the gold standard for legislative reviews in Canada, and has been done for other issues in Manitoba before,” said Stone. “If there was ever a time to get a bill review done correctly, it’s now. As MLAs, we have a responsibility to do the right thing for Manitoba children. We need subject-matter experts at the table directly in this review process.”
The Advocate for Children and Youth Act empowers the Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth (MACY) to support Manitoba’s children, youth, and young adults and families.
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