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By Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Peter Milobar

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: “Open and transparent” NDP blindsides B.C. families

Nov 4, 2021 | 10:18 AM

FOR A GOVERNMENT that repeatedly claimed it would be open and transparent, the NDP’s actions show the exact opposite.

We saw it recently with regards to new Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation, which the NDP has brought forward to make it harder for people to access government information. Normally, a legislative committee would review that legislation and recommend changes to it — or not — but the NDP has decided it knows best and has bypassed the committee altogether.

In addition, the NDP has hidden COVID data from British Columbians throughout the pandemic. For example, the government admitted it has been keeping two sets of numbers on how many COVID patients are in hospital — one for the public, and the real number which was 46 per cent higher. The NDP has also refused to provide clear, detailed information on which K-12 schools have had ventilation upgrades to improve airflow and minimize COVID risks.

And now the NDP is at it again, this time with regards to changes in autism funding which are being poorly received by families across British Columbia — which really isn’t a surprise, considering this “open and transparent” government didn’t consult with these families or any stakeholders before announcing this major overhaul of the system.

It appears the NDP will be clawing back individualized funding that allows parents to make choices that work for their children. Instead, people will access services through a hub which will simply pit parents against each other in a competition for resources.

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Locally, we have heard concerns raised by Wanda Eddy, executive director of the Chris Rose Therapy Centre for Autism. Last week, she told local media that families have had a lot of choice in the services they could access under the current system. She wonders if everyone will have the same access to those choices within one of these new hubs — particularly those living in smaller communities, who may have to factor in travel and other considerations.

She rightfully pointed out there “there’s a lot of unknowns” — and she’s right. This has many parents of children with autism very fearful and stressed right now. Our Official Opposition has raised many of their concerns in Question Period this week, but the minister responsible Mitzi Dean hasn’t provided any satisfactory answers to ease those worries. In fact, she had the gall to suggest that the right time to consult with parents and advocates is after a decision has already been made.

Our official opposition team disagrees. We are currently meeting with advocates and listening to the concerns of families who will be directly affected by these changes. If you have concerns you’d like us to raise with the minister, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office at (250) 554-5413 if you live in Kamloops-North Thompson. If you reside in Kamloops-South Thompson, you can contact my colleague MLA Todd Stone at (250) 374-2880.

We will continue to press the minister and the NDP government to reverse this decision to cut direct funding.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.