Children in Care/International Trade Representatives (October 24, 2011)
Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. An alarming number of the 50 children killed while in this government’s care in the past decade were First Nations; 67 per cent of the children currently in care have been taken from First Nations families.
The abuse of Alberta’s First Nations children hasn’t ended. Instead, it has shifted from residential schools to provincial custodial care. To the Minister of Human Services: how can the government claim it is being culturally sensitive and responsible when it dumps six young children on relatives’ doorsteps without due diligence?
Mr. Hancock: Well, Mr. Speaker, the hon. member alludes to a matter which is still before the courts. I will say in a general sense that kinship care is a very important part of the care process for children in need. It is important in circumstances where families are available to keep children together and to keep them with family. That’s often a choice that parents want to have if their children are being apprehended. They want to have a say in that process, so it’s an important part of the process. The characterization is overly dramatic. It is important that we take care of children in . . .
The Speaker: The hon. member, please.
Mr. Chase: Mr. Speaker, I wouldn’t suggest that 50 deaths is overly dramatic; it’s a fact.
What efforts are being made to support children and their birth parents within their homes before forcing them into foster care or kinship care and fast-tracking the adoption process?
Mr. Hancock: Mr. Speaker, there is no intention on behalf of this government to take children out of families where families can be supported to help those children. It is not the first thing that government wants to do. At the front end of the system social workers and caregivers work with families first to make sure there are appropriate care plans where there is any indication of concern, and only after that, if there is a problem that cannot be resolved by support, do they apprehend the child.
The Speaker: The hon. member.
Mr. Chase: Thank you. Given the supersizing of the new Human Services ministry, how is the minister going to ensure that vulnerable children and families don’t get lost in this latest shuffle?
The Speaker: The hon. minister.
Mr. Hancock: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is a very important question and one that I want to answer by saying that I’ve worn this Children First pin since I was first appointed to the Ministry of Education, and I’m not taking it off any time soon. Children are going to be at the core of this ministry. You can support children by making sure that you support their families. You can support their families by making sure that they have the right links to education and skilling, the right links to a job, that there is a proper labour atmosphere. All of that comes together in a ministry that makes entirely good sense to support children and make sure that they get the opportunity to be successful in this province.
International Trade Representatives
Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Albertans were appalled earlier this month when the newly minted Minister of Intergovernmental, International and Aboriginal Relations disregarded open and honest competition and unilaterally plummed Gary Mar into his latest pork-barrel position in Hong Kong. To the Minister of Intergovernmental, International and Aboriginal Relations: will the minister table the evaluatory report card of Gary Mar’s performance in Washington that eliminated the need for considering other candidates for the Hong Kong office?
The Speaker: The hon. minister.
Mr. Dallas: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It’s indeed a pleasure to rise and take a question from the hon. member. We had an opportunity to position a candidate in the Hong Kong office to look after our Asian offices. We were very pleased to surface a candidate and took advantage of that.
The Speaker: The hon. member.
Mr. Chase: Thank you. To the same minister: given the importance of the Keystone pipeline and foreign trade, how can the minister continue to favour government friends in our Washington office?
Mr. Dallas: Mr. Speaker, our Washington office continues to be staffed and operated at full capacity. We have a fellow by the name of David Manning who is doing work for us there on an ongoing basis. Whether it’s the Keystone XL project, low-carbon fuel standard, or a variety of border trade issues that we have, we’re right on top of it in Washington.
The Speaker: The hon. member.
Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m worried about the being right on top of it, what that connotes in this province. Given the Premier’s promise for openness and transparency in government, will the minister stop political patronage and commit to an open and competitive process for the appointment of Alberta’s international trade representatives?
Mr. Dallas: Mr. Speaker, what I would suggest is that finding the absolute best candidate for the job is paramount. Whether that entails a competition or that involves an appointment, that is the process that we will use.
Alberta Hansard, October 24, 2011