The Written Word
for April 5, 2000

Since the Ministry started about three years ago there have been three ministers of Children and Families. Under Penny Priddy the ministry got off to a pretty good start, There was the excitement of setting up a new ministry and there was the good feeling that comes with what the employees saw as a brand new approach.

It must be recognized and conceded that this is a ministry that will always have horror stories. Some children will fall between the cracks and not be properly cared for. Indeed, children will die. It is, to say the very least, a challenging ministry and Ms Priddy seemed up to it. Regrettably she was replaced by Lois Boone who was, from the start, a catastrophe. Morale plummeted and workers in the field were often near revolt – as were their clients. Now there is a new minister, Gretchen Brewin and hopes are running high again as Ms Brewin brings with her the reputation of competent administration.

The big problem in the ministry – though there are a great many – is in the initial stages of contact between the government and the client. If this contact is not in timely fashion it may be too late to head off the problems. This is especially true where it is a mental health problem that gave rise to over 30 teenage suicides last year.

The plain fact is there are simply not the resources available for this ministry to function as it was conceived to function. Not only was the ministry under funded from the start, it had nearly $80 million clawed back last year.

But is there enough money in these money short days?

The reason this government is so short of money is that it can’t manage its fiscal affairs – of that there can be no doubt. Government is all about setting priorities for the spending of the public treasury and this government, strangely one might think given its socially conscious rhetoric over the years, has been seen as a failure in the social spending ministries. There have been some extraordinary priorities when you consider the needs of the Children’s and Families Ministry. The Island Highway didn’t have to be completed (except, of course, for political reasons) nor was it necessary to put in an HOV lane on the Trans Canada Highway to Port Mann (politically helpful and convenient though that may be.) Skytrain could have been postponed and most of all huge savings could have been effected by not getting into the Pacificat Ferries mess.

The difficulty Ms Brewin will have – as have all social ministers before her very much including me – is convincing the Minister of Finance that money spent early with a child saves money at 2,3, or even 4 to one later, depending upon the survey. Ministers of Finance are noted for being one year wonders – if there is to be benefit from money spent, it must show up on that year’s balance sheet.

The fact is that the NDP, as usual, has done a brilliant job in exposing and articulating the problem – as usual too, however, they will not put their money where their mouth is and for now the kids will suffer – in few years society in general will have to pay the bills for this neglect.