Home for Colored Children panel draws fire

The provincial government has named a social worker to come up with the terms of reference for a panel to look into allegations of abuse at the Home for Colored Children.

But the move has upset the co-chair of a group that represents people who claim they were abused at the home.

Tony Smith is repeating his initial opposition to a panel – saying only a public inquiry would do the work that’s required.

But Smith is also against the appointment of Robert Wright, the social worker chosen to set the terms of reference for the panel.

Smith said Wright is associated with the home, as well as others who have been asked to sit on the panel.

"There's a deep conflict of interest and this is one of the things we've said very clearly that we don't have any trust within the panel," Smith said. "We don't have any trust in the people he's selecting. They're too close to the colored home. Too close to government."

Disagreement with Dexter

Premier Darrell Dexter was speaking to the media about that appointment at Province House Thursday when he was interrupted by Smith

"You're not listening to us once again," Smith told Dexter. "We talked very clearly. We produced some documentation. I think you really need to come clean about what we had been talking about. We had not agreed to an independent panel."

Smith said they will continue to fight for a public inquiry.

"We want complete transparency. We want somebody else who has better qualifications that is in keeping with either a full public inquiry or restorative justice."