PeopleVille
It's Friday.
It's the middle of summer.
So, of course, we get the announcement of an 'investigation' due to a court ruling in which the presiding judge, Paul Walker, noted the following in his reasons for judgement:
[1080] In the course of pursuing custody of the children in favour of B.G., the Director decided that she did not have to abide by orders and directions of this Court about B.G.’s supervised access to the children. No credence can be given to the Director’s current advice to this Court, communicated through counsel, that she will abide by orders of this Court. Her advice is inconsistent with the position she recently took before another judge of this Court.
[1081] The Director provided false and misleading information (in the Form “A”) to the Provincial Court to support the Apprehension and failed to correct or amend even though its social workers (depending on whom and at what point in time), knew or ought to have known it contained false and misleading information. She also relied on the Form “A” and other incorrect affidavit evidence when supporting B.G.’s custody application in this Court, when pursuing her application for an extension of the temporary custody order in the First Trial, and seeking the restraining order against J.P. in the Provincial Court. The Director improperly interfered with Mr. Colby’s investigation because she did not agree with an order made by this Court.
[1082] The Director delayed in delivering documents requested by another branch of government in order to process the plaintiffs’ claims for compensation. Her conduct was either deliberate or the result of gross neglect but in either case the conduct was callously indifferent to the children’s needs.
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So.
While it is good to see that Bob Plecas has been appointed to head an inquiry into this matter the following, taken directly from the BC Liberal government press release announcing the inquiry, is troubling:
...The review is not intended to retry the court case, but rather to examine policy, practice and provide recommendations as to where there are gaps...
Why troubling?
Because we all know what happened in the Health Care Worker Firing inquiry after the terms of reference were restricted.
OK?
.
15 comments:
Stephanie Cadieux decided Mary Ellen Turpel Lafond isn't suitable to conduct a review because she has publicly expressed opinions. Have a look at some opinions publicly expressed by the guy she chose.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPMD2qI3EPY
And came across this from a Rafe Mair piece:
Bob Plecas has an op-ed piece in the Vancouver Sun – they whose recent papers are celebrating their 100th birthday have carried the art of media masturbation to new heights once thought unreachable.
I assume that the editor in charge of its op-ed page, being a Fellow of the far right Fraser Institute, chooses his op-ed writers with care and, if part of that mandate is to push the government’s agenda, Fazil Milhar has done well indeed with Mr. Plecas.
Mr. Plecas was a deputy minister when I was in government and has written a biography of former premier, Bill Bennett.
I always thought he was a bright lad but clearly he is captive of the right as his article clearly demonstrates.
So how impartial is the question.
Another "show" investigation by the BC Lieberals. They are the champions of "show". Would make the Stazi proud. How low can they stoop? Wait for next week and I amsure we will see another one.
Bob Plecas as impartial investigator...Ha, now that`s funny, I remember Bobby Plecas...He is one of Christy Clark`s key election advisers..
Read this shocker,
http://powellriverpersuader.blogspot.ca/2014/02/christy-clark-listened-to-bob-plecass.html
Christy Clark and these BC Liberals are the epitome of slime on steroids!
I went back and read Grant's post. I'm sure Plecas' name will come up in the S.C.C. case that the BCTF is bringing against the lieberals. Yes, there will be no findings,just "suggestions" that will sit on someones desk. They are afraid of Mary Ellen Turpel Lafond finding the truth.
Bob Plecas is a smart guy and was a capable deputy minister.
He is also a Liberal insider.
He has regularly and extensively defended the BC Liberal government on media in the past five years (maybe longer) including CBC Victoria's political panel.
SH:
"Dr No" presided over the darkest of times in the BC civil service. I would prefer that he lurk in the shadows of history:
"Bob Plecas worked under six B.C. premiers and 25 cabinet ministers in 10 ministries, earning nicknames more pointed than complimentary.
He was dubbed "Dr. No" for his negotiating tactics with public-sector unions and "Dr. Death" for implementing a plan to fire one in four civil servants...With a young family, and a failing marriage, he decided to skip law school in favour of a government job. When he began in 1973, the labour ministry had about 100 employees and a budget of $6-million. He remembers launching a summer employment program without staff, an office, or even so much as a pen. When he left the ministry five years later, the staff had swelled to 780 and the budget to $80-million.
His rapid rise through the bureaucracy earned him controversial assignments, including bringing forward a bill permitting the firing of civil servants "without cause," and being in charge of privatization.
Through it all, Mr. Plecas insisted then, as he does today, that he was no more than a hired gun, a career civil servant carrying out orders in a professional and non-partisan fashion. "Whenever there was a horrible, horrible problem," he explains, "I would get sent in."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/a-front-row-seat-for-the-best-political-theatre-in-town/article706399/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-7vCQM2OLQ
Bob Plecas is a principal, along with Keef, Vaughn, Smitty, Mason et al, in the Liberal P.R. firm, "Bag Likkers R Us". Well played, Minister!
Thanks for input Everyone--
I see, according to the Keef at least, that Ms. Turpel-Lafond is wondering why her office is not carrying out this investigation.
Could it have something to do with that 'independent' monicker associated with her office.
Come to think of it, I seem to remember that the ol' MCFD public inquiry-holder himself, Ted Hughes, insisted on said monicker.
Perhaps some enterprising young proMedia type should seek out the good Mr. Hughes for comment.
.
It's obvious that Ms Turpel Lafond will need to be fired . . . but that might be hard to pull off . . . . oh wait, no one's paying attention so . . . they'll find a way.
Christy and her "team" know who was responsible. Why not just tell the person or persons responsible to step up and admit it? She KNOWS who they are!
Investigation?? . . . . phhhhttt!
They can't fire Turpel-Lafond - she is an independent officer of the legislature who reports to it and not to the government. She will, however, undoubtedly find she will not be re-appointed for another term when her current one expires.
However, I have heard from a usually reliable source that Ms Turpel-Lafond will likely be happy to leave when her current term is over...and who could blame her.
Plecas is no more than a well trained BC Liberal organ grinder's monkey so this becomes another " it's time to white wash the fence boys and girls." The judge was quite clear that fault finding in the Ministry is the order of the day not policy tweaking. Cadieux's ignonimous departure is well overdue as well as this corrupt government.
It's official, the whitewashing has begun: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/minister-snubs-children-s-watchdog-in-abuse-case-review-1.2012091
Plecas' comments in the article are in stark contrast to both of Judge Walker's decisions.
It is well-worth reading both of Walker's judgements (the divorce and the mother's lawsuit against the ministry) in full to understand the scope of the ministry's misfeasance. Both were linked from this CBC article http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/ministry-abused-authority-in-case-of-b-c-father-sexually-abusing-his-children-judge-1.3152309
And rumour has it that this type of behaviour is not a "one-off" for MCFD.
the" Director "...I wish someone would name some names...maybe a little shameing would go a long way...
http://www.bcndp.ca/newsroom/childrens-ministry-review-puts-protecting-minister-above-protecting-children
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