Members of an Alberta legislature panel investigating deaths of children in government care say the committee will be ineffective unless it starts getting candid answers.
Greg Clark, leader of the Alberta party, says a bureaucratic “culture of fear” is preventing child-care workers from speaking freely to the all-party committee.
READ MORE: Alberta’s non-partisan child deaths review panel meets for 1st time Wednesday
He says it will be difficult for panel members to make recommendations if they can’t get the information they need.
READ MORE: Alberta moves forward with non-partisan panel to review child deaths
Two child intervention workers speaking to the panel today repeatedly deflected or declined to answer questions about how they feel child welfare could be improved.
NDP legislature member Heather Sweet says there has always been a culture of protection within the Children’s Services Department, but the panel will continue to push presenters to give more information.
READ MORE: Mother of 4-year-old Alberta girl who died in kinship care speaks out – ‘They completely ignored me’
Ric McIver, interim leader of the Progressive Conservatives, says he sympathizes with the presenters, but wonders why the Children’s Services Department is putting forward experts who can’t or won’t give answers.
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