No replacement named for vacant child representative position
Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond on vacation now until term officially ends November 27
The committee tasked with finding a new representative for children and youth does not expect to have a full-time replacement until next year.
In the meantime, a separate committee will appoint an acting representative to replace the now-departed Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond.
"The hiring committee is still working," said committee chair Liberal MLA Don McRae. "Until all five members are unanimous, this committee does not report success or failure back to the legislature."
No replacement until 2017
The legislature is not slated to reconvene until February of 2017.
In the meantime, an acting representative will be appointed to assume the role Nov. 28, a day after Turpel-Lafond, who is taking owed vacation for the next month, officially wraps up. The 60 staff at the representative's office remain.
"The ideal was that we were able, as a selection committee, to select someone before the summer. That was our aim. That is why we started in April," said committee member and NDP MLA Carole James. "That didn't occur, so we have to make do with what we have got."
Tensions mark tenure end
Turpel-Lafond wrapped up her final five-year term with a presentation to the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth Monday morning. The representative also presented the final annual report of her tenure.
Her report reveals lingering tensions between the province's advocate for children and Children and Family Development Minister Stephanie Cadieux. According to the report, the pair have not met for a year, even with multiple requests for face-to-face talks coming from the advocate's office.
"Certainly I have done everything I can to offer briefings and do meetings but I think it has been their decision as government to move forward without engaging directly at that level," said Turpel-Lafond.
"However, I have had many good meetings with frontline staff at the Ministry of Children and Family and so forth."
Cadieux's office has turned down interview requests for the minister to speak about the end of Turpel-Lafond's tenure. Instead, Cadieux released a statement that did not address the tension between the two roles.
"͞As her term wraps up, I hope Turpel-Lafond takes comfort in knowing the ministry has added 300 frontline staff and increased its budget by $72.2 million in the last year alone, putting us at just over $1.45 billion with 90 per cent of that funding going toward direct investment in programs and services," said Cadieux in the statement. ͞
"I appreciate Turpel-Lafond͛'s tireless drive on behalf of B.C. children and youth and I wish her the best of luck in her future endeavours. I look forward to working with the new representative when the selection committee selects a replacement."