NDP Rebuttal to the Child And Youth Act enacted May,

The Child and Youth Act
2002-05-09

Excerpts:

Joy McPhail of the NDP:

This legislation repeals two other acts that we're going to spend
some time examining. It repeals the Child, Youth and Family
Advocacy Act and the Children's Commission Act, and this is
what we have left. It's a sorry, sorry, very poor third or fourth
cousin to those two acts.

I was looking through the legislation to see where possibly I could
turn to this legislation and see what this Liberal government's
definition of "best interests of the child" is. And you know what,
Mr. Speaker? It's nowhere in the bill. It's not even mentioned.
It's not even there that the overriding concern should be what's
in the best interests of the child. I thought: well, is that a step
backward, or is it merely carrying on what was in place before?
Here's what the previous child, youth and family advocate's
responsibilities were. "The office of the child, youth and family
advocate is established to ensure that the rights and interests
of children, youths and their families relating to designated
services are protected and advanced and that their views are
heard and considered." That's gone.Next, the advocate was
"to ensure that children, youths and their families have access
to fair, responsive and appropriate complaint and review processes
at all stages in the provision of designated services" - that's gone -
"to provide information and advice to the government and communities
about the availability, effectiveness, responsiveness and relevance of
designated services to children, youths and their families; to promote
and coordinate in communities the establishment of advocacy services
for children, youths and their families." Then lastly, the advocate was
"to perform any other functions assigned to the advocate by an enactment."
That's what's being repealed. All those are gone. How is that a step forward
for children or youths in this province?More importantly, Mr. Speaker,
the advocate reported directly to the Legislature. The advocate was
responsible not to the Attorney General, not to the government of the
day but to the Legislature. The term of the advocate was long enough
so that her or his term would span the electoral cycle and could not become
an election football.