Note: This article has been updated to clarify Dr. Stainton's role in the independent investigation.
The B.C. government is facing mounting criticism over its handling of a review into the Community Living BC (CLBC) home-sharing program, with opposition MLAs calling the process 乌鸦传媒渄eeply compromised乌鸦传媒� and demanding an independent inquiry.
Kristina Loewen, MLA for Kelowna Centre and Opposition Critic for Social Development and Poverty Reduction, raised concerns after it was revealed that Dr. Tim Stainton乌鸦传媒攚ho is supporting the review being conducted by Tamar Consultancy乌鸦传媒攈elped create the CLBC and has received research funding from the agency.
乌鸦传媒淵ou don乌鸦传媒檛 get accountability by asking the architects of a broken system to investigate their own blueprints,乌鸦传媒� Loewen said in a Conservative Party media release. 乌鸦传媒淔lorence乌鸦传媒檚 death demands a real, arm乌鸦传媒檚-length investigation, one led by independent experts with no ties to CLBC.乌鸦传媒�
The review follows a coroner乌鸦传媒檚 inquest into the 2018 death of Florence Girard, a woman with Down syndrome who died of starvation while in government-funded care. Her caregiver was later convicted of failing to provide the necessities of life.
The independent review was ordered by the provincial government on June 2 which is looking into the Home Sharing Program operated by the CLBC.
At the time of Girard乌鸦传媒檚 death, Shane Simpson乌鸦传媒攏ow CLBC乌鸦传媒檚 board chair乌鸦传媒攚as the NDP minister responsible for the agency. Simpson has defended Stainton's participation despite the controversy.
乌鸦传媒淭his is a slap in the face to families who have been begging for change since 2018,乌鸦传媒� said Loewen. 乌鸦传媒淭hey deserve justice, not recycled insiders and closed-door reviews.乌鸦传媒�
Reann Gasper, MLA for Abbotsford-Mission and Critic for Child Care, Children and Youth with Support Needs, echoed Loewen乌鸦传媒檚 concerns.
乌鸦传媒淭his should be a moment of reckoning乌鸦传媒攏ot a bureaucratic box-checking exercise,乌鸦传媒� Gasper said. 乌鸦传媒淔lorence乌鸦传媒檚 story is heartbreaking. It should have triggered a serious overhaul, not another vague, taxpayer-funded review that avoids the hard truths.乌鸦传媒�
The Conservatives want the NDP government to cancel the current contract and initiate an independent inquiry that addresses the 15 recommendations made by the coroner乌鸦传媒檚 jury.
乌鸦传媒淓very delay, every deflection, puts more vulnerable people at risk,乌鸦传媒� added Loewen. 乌鸦传媒淔lorence乌鸦传媒檚 life mattered. We must act like it.乌鸦传媒�
