On October 4th, the fall sitting of the Legislature comes to order, and the new Minister of Children and Family Development, former Socred Stan Hagen, will take responsibility for steering Bill 45 through debate. Introduced for first reading on May 19th, it is one of the few Bills that sat as an exposure Bill until the fall. The Community Living Authority Act focuses attention on broken promises, budget cuts and mismanagement by the Campbell government. No wonder Christy Clark resigned!

Bill 45 establishes Community Living British Columbia to assume responsibility for 38% of the Ministry, over $600 million per year and responsibility for 5,400 developmentally disabled adults in residential care.

Under the jargon of "independent living", the Campbell budget cuts have threatened the most vulnerable. Some developmentally disabled adults may be able to do better if their parents or guardians can take the funds and make their own arrangements, but many others are doomed to failure with a model that some suspect is driven by budget cuts. Divisions within the extended community of parents, care givers and self help advocates spilled into public acrimony as accusations swirled around the role of Doug Walls. While an independent review cleared Walls and the Ministry on those matters, the Interim Authority for Community Living was reorganized with a new board and new executive.

The transition from the days of institutionalization in Woodlands, Tranquille, Glendale and Endicotte Centre has not been without considerable pain. It is not over, and it will not be over without considerably more pain if the next steps are driven by budget cuts rather than concern for those who cannot look after themselves. Stan Hagen may be facing the greatest challenge of his political career; will he represent the disabled or the penny pinching government?