The Vancouver School Board was joined by Jenny Kwan in calling for Children and Family Development Minister Gordon Hogg to reinstate services for Vancouver children. On June 25th Hogg announced that his ministry would make a further $70 million in budget cuts; he then tried to spin it as an increase relative to cuts that could have been even greater. At the time he claimed that the cuts were justified by "evidenced-based" research. Months of effort to obtain that research resulted in nothing but abuse of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act as the politically appointed communications director responded in place of a civil servant charged with administering information and privacy. The fact is that Hogg has no research to justify cuts to anything. The $3 million he is cutting from the Vancouver School Board will harm programs such as the Inner City Schools program, School Meals, Community Schools/Kidsafe program, Counseling programs, Before-and-after school programs, Lunch-time programs, Family Advancement workers and the Healthy Schools program

According to a Vancouver School Board news release, the $3 million cut represents 36% of funding provided by the Province through the Ministry of Children and Family Development to help children in the poorest neighbourhoods in Vancouver. There is evidence that proves hungry children don't learn; the Vancouver School Board provides more than 10,000 meals everyday to kids who need them.
Kwan stood outside MLA Patrick Wong's constituency office and challenged him to advocate on behalf of his constituents and their children. Wong, the MLA in Vancouver-Kensington, lives in West Vancouver where the need for the kind of programs that his constituents will lose through Hogg's cuts is considerably less.

It has been rumoured for weeks that treasury board essentially has Hogg's ministry in trusteeship so that he has no effective control. Perhaps calls to reinstate funding for Vancouver children should be directed at Finance Minister Gary Collins, but effective trusteeship or not, Hogg has to accept ministerial responsibility and deliver or get out of the way as long as he warms his seat.

Hogg may be distracted by the latest scandal in his ministry involving the appointment of a special prosecutor to deal with Doug Walls, the Premier's relative by marriage, a former President of a provincial Liberal constituency association, and the acting CEO of the Interim Authority for Community Living until last week. In his community paper, the Peace Arch News, Hogg is reported to have said with respect to Walls, "I've never been for a drink with him or seen him outside the office." The paper added that Hogg said "he's met with Walls about a dozen times." It is hard to believe that Hogg would have only met with Walls a dozen times. Walls was Vice President of Finance for WestPro Web Technologies which had its office above Hogg's constituency office. Walls was acting CEO of the Interim Authority which was being groomed as a turnkey operation to receive responsibility for 40% of Hogg's ministry, and Walls was active in the BC Liberal party. The minutes of Board meetings for the Interim Authority make it clear that the Minister had an important role to play in the selection of a CEO, as anyone would expect for a position of such importance. Twelve dozen meetings would be easier to believe.

For two days this week, radio hot line host Rafe Mair called for Hogg's resignation. Joy MacPhail didn't go that far but she said "Minister Hogg hid Mr. Walls' appointment as the acting CEO of the Community Living Authority even though he had been informed of and had agreed to his appointment two months earlier." She went on to say, "In my books that's dishonest. And the Minister must explain why he felt compelled to hide the truth". MacPhail was referring to Hogg's answers in the legislature when asked for the names of the acting CEOs for the 11 interim authorities, Community Care and 10 child welfare authorities. When the legislature resumes, MacPhail will ask the Speaker to investigate Hogg's truthfulness to the Assembly.

Under Hogg's watch line level child protection social workers have been laid off, the number of deaths of children in care has increased, Hogg has publicly stated that a 20% failure rate in his ministry is to be expected (Times Colonist, April 1, 2002), he is embroiled in the Walls appointment and resignation, he is cutting needed services to children in Vancouver's schools and he misled the legislature with his answers on March 25, 2003. Hogg should resign.