Sandy Lee

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m not familiar in detail with what Justice has proposed. I’ve had a look at it, but I don’t know exactly how it’s funded, so I’m not able to compare.

But I’d like to just reiterate that the department is and has always been committed to working to set up these committees and the one that we are closest to getting some results is Fort McPherson. If the Member’s wish is that we continue to work in that and use whatever resources we have within and the staff we have, the management and the authorities to do that, then we will continue to do that because that’s part of...

Our commitment is to bring that forward into the next business plan process. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to reiterate that if the committee is happy or it is acceptable to them, that we continue working on setting up these committees as the way we have been and do our utmost to get them set up, I am happy to accept that and we will continue to work on that. We will be obviously using existing resources to do that, but I was under the assumption that the committee wanted us to get more aggressive about it. This is why we came up with a plan. I would like to ask Dana to give you details on how we arrived at these numbers. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I responded to the chair of Standing Committee on Social Programs on that issue on February 25th and indicated that we will implement that.

Mr. Chair, I think the challenge we have here is a timing issue, because the standing committee report came out in October. By then we had gone through the business plan review, the budget was wrapped up in January and presented to the House in February. There was not enough time or space in the budget to incorporate as much as the Members thought that we should. We did accept many of the recommendations but there are pending resources.

The second thing is why don’t you just take 60 kids out of the system and use that money. I’d have to say if any of those 60 kids could be taken out, they...

Yes, please, Mr. Chairman.

I just want to say that… And I am answering the Member’s question. The business plan speaks of not just the dollar amounts but some of the action items that the department wants to do. Dollars aren’t exactly always attached to some of those action items. It’s a business plan, it’s a blueprint where the department’s going to go, any department’s going to go for next year.

Like I stated before, I think this is about the third time I’m saying it, yes, in the business plan we said we will work to set up children and family services committees, like we have always done before. I am here admitting to...

We are reviewing all aspects of this file. We are giving it due consideration. I expect to have an answer for him shortly.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have received the information in that and I am in communication with the federal Minister to see how we could take advantage of such a program.

The situation is not as simple and clear cut as the Member suggests. It’s complex to evaluate a medical professional and we are consulting with individuals and bodies to help us evaluate the situation. As the Member knows, my staff have made it a priority to meet with the person in question and we are putting in all energy to evaluate the situation. I am going to get back to the Member shortly.