VICTORIA — British Columbia Premier Christy Clark and Opposition New Democrat Leader John Horgan are accusing each other of playing politics over the tragic death of an 18-year-old aboriginal male in government care.
Alex Gervais fell from a fourth-floor window of an Abbotsford hotel on Sept. 18, and children's representative Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond has said she believes he killed himself.
Clark backed Children and Family Development Minister Stephanie Cadieux in the legislature Wednesday, saying the New Democrats are looking to score political points rather than await a formal review of Gervais's death.
"I don't think the best interest of children are served by getting into what is really, essentially, a political debate," said Clark.
Horgan said the government must answer difficult questions about the quality of care vulnerable children and youth are receiving, and he repeated his calls for Cadieux's resignation.
"At no time did I try and politicize this debate," said Horgan. "I have a great deal of respect for Stephanie Cadieux. It's not about her. It's about a new set of eyes and new leadership in a ministry that has clearly lost its way."
An attempt by the NDP to force Cadieux to appear before the government's all-party children's committee failed, as the Liberal-dominated committee voted against the move.
Cadieux's ministry has launched a formal director's case review into Gervais's death.
Case reviews examine the facts of a critical injury or death suffered by a child or youth under government care and try to determine if actions were consistent with relevant legislation, policy and standards.
Horgan joined aboriginal leaders and B.C.'s independent representative for children and youth who have called government funding inadequte.
"There's been chronic underfunding at the ministry for the past five to 10 years," he said. "Christy Clark, when she was in opposition, railed against government for underfunding and now she professes to be fully funding these operations."
Turpel-Lafond said underfunded delegated agencies do not have the resources or qualified staff to care for youth like Gervais who have complex needs.
In earlier reports, she blasted the government for wasting millions of dollars and mismanagement when it came to aboriginal child and youth agencies.
Doug Kelly, a founder of the Fraser Valley Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society who is now chairman of the First Nations Health Council, said he wants to meet with Clark.
"It's time for us to sit down and talk together about how we can collaborate and improve children and family services," said Kelly. "It's time for us to take it out of the high-profile public media war and put it behind us to come together."
