Community Living B.C. is under fire this week over alleged agency mismanagement with the New Democrats calling for an independent review.
Leading that charge is our Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons, who is the NDP's opposition critic for community living.
Simons is trying to get fellow MLAs to back his call for a moratorium on group home closures while a review is undertaken.
Simons introduced a motion in the legislature this week. Simons has been working on this issue for quite sometime and calls the situation at CLBC completely unacceptable. He's heard from families in Powell River about how they have been largely ignored by the agency and that families are losing faith and hope in the system.
While all of this was going on in the legislature, the CLBC board made a move late last Friday that would seem to indicate that they too believe they have a big mess on their hands. The board of directors fired chief executive officer Rick Mowles.
When board chair Denise Turner was questioned by the media as to why Mowles was fired, she said it had nothing to do with "the outside noise" that CLBC has been hearing. What a thoughtless and out of touch comment.
Families of people with developmental disabilities rely on agencies such as CLBC for care and support. When that care and support is being questioned by so many families and politicians, then CLBC should be listening to those concerns and trying to address them. This isn't "noise" as Ms. Turner claims it's a cry for help, yet CLBC doesn't appear to care much do they?
We fully support our MLA's efforts for an independent review and we're not the only ones.
It seems that the rank and file within the Liberal caucus is starting to break.
Abbotsford Liberal MLA Randy Hawes spoke out this week in favour of a government review. He agrees with the NDP saying that there is a lot wrong going on in CLBC and that it's time for the government to acknowledge that there are problems and that government is going to address those problems and give the families that rely on CLBC the care and attention that they deserve.
When Christy Clark was elected Liberal leader and premier of this province a few months ago, she pledged to put families first. Well, Premier Clark, here is your opportunity to not just talk the talk, but also walk the walk. Put families first. Put the families that don't have a voice first. Call for an independent review of CLBC and fight for families. Fight for proper care and fight for agency that has clearly lost its way.
- Ian Jacques
