June 26, 2003

Where's Hogg's Evidence for Cuts?

Gordon Hogg, Minister of Children and Family Development, utters the words "evidenced based research" more often than Gordon Campbell says "moving forward". Hogg was on the defensive at the June 25th staged cabinet meeting where he slagged Province columnist Michael Smyth for exposing planned cuts to his ministry.

Hogg outlined approximately $70 million in cuts that will be made in order to bring his budget in line with a revised service plan. Just days after a 14 year old stole another car and was involved in a tragic car crash, and after an 11 year old was apprehended while driving a stolen vehicle, Hogg said that two youth custody facilities will be closed and others will have their capacity reduced.

Hogg told the staged cabinet meeting that approximately 65% of children that are apprehended and put in the Ministry's care come from single parents on welfare. Not one person at the table questioned whether brutal cuts to welfare contribute to the neglect.

It is time for Hogg to put up or back off from the $70 million in cuts that he has planned. In opposition, Gordon Campbell said that he would do whatever it takes to see that the Ministry of Children and Family Development gets the resources that it requires. It will be more than interesting to see the Ministry's response to the following freedom of information request. If, as has happened with similar requests, the response is that no documents exist, then Hogg should stop using his pet phrase about "evidence based research" and come clean with an admission that his ministry is driven by an agenda that was dictated when $2.2 billion in tax cuts were made on day one.

June 25, 2003

Manager of Information and Privacy
Ministry of Children and Family Development
PO Box 9702 Stn Prov Govt                             by fax only to (250) 387-0817
Victoria, British Columbia V8W 9S1

Dear Sir/Madam:

I make this request pursuant to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

At the televised staged cabinet meeting held on the morning of June 25, Minister Hogg outlined approximately $70 million in cuts that will be made in order to bring the Ministry's budget in line with its revised service plan for 2004-05. Minister Hogg has claimed that any such cuts will not harm the health and safety of children or dependent adults and are only made in accordance with evidenced based research.

This request is for any documents that discuss the cuts identified by Minister Hogg in his presentation on June 25th in relation to or as supported by any evidence based research. In particular, this request is for the identification of what evidence based research supports the approximately $70 million in cuts identified by Minister Hogg in his June 25th presentation.

Sincerely,

David D. Schreck