During question period today, Aylward noted Premier Wade MacLauchlan wasted no time upon taking office before appointing an ethics commissioner to deal with the fallout of the e-gaming scandal, and yet he still will not appoint a child advocate.
“Premier, it’s obvious to Islanders you’re more concerned about protecting those involved in the e-gaming scandal than with protecting our most vulnerable citizens – our children,” Aylward said.
“I call on you today, premier, when will you do the right thing and institute an office of child advocacy?”
Premier Wade MacLauchlan says government has taken a number of steps to offer better protection to children in situations of family crisis, including the creation of a children’s lawyer.
“(This) will in fact be a front-line position working directly with children to offer legal counsel to children and to be able to legally represent the voice of a child whose families are experiencing separation or divorce,” MacLauchlan said.
“We have stipulated that person also have skills in dispute resolution and that’s where we see an important step to be taken to offer front-line services.”
During question period today, Aylward noted Premier Wade MacLauchlan wasted no time upon taking office before appointing an ethics commissioner to deal with the fallout of the e-gaming scandal, and yet he still will not appoint a child advocate.
“Premier, it’s obvious to Islanders you’re more concerned about protecting those involved in the e-gaming scandal than with protecting our most vulnerable citizens – our children,” Aylward said.
“I call on you today, premier, when will you do the right thing and institute an office of child advocacy?”
Premier Wade MacLauchlan says government has taken a number of steps to offer better protection to children in situations of family crisis, including the creation of a children’s lawyer.
“(This) will in fact be a front-line position working directly with children to offer legal counsel to children and to be able to legally represent the voice of a child whose families are experiencing separation or divorce,” MacLauchlan said.
“We have stipulated that person also have skills in dispute resolution and that’s where we see an important step to be taken to offer front-line services.”
RELATED: Premier MacLauchlan defends decision to block child advocacy office
P.E.I. is the only province in Canada without a child advocate — a point noted multiple times throughout the emotional testimony heard in a coroner's inquest in 2014 into the deaths of four-year-old Nash Campbell and his mother, Patricia Hennessey who died in a murder-suicide perpetrated by Hennessey.
One of the jury’s 15 recommendations was a call for a child advocate to represent children in custody battles.
Another recommendation from that inquest called for a safe and supervised access service for children moving between parents.
On Wednesday, government announced that 10 new supervised access and exchange sites have been opened to help protect children in the middle of contentious custody battles.
These centres provide safe and neutral places for children to be picked up or to spend time with a parent.
“Most parental conflicts occur during the access or exchange of children, so providing a safe, child-centred place for parents to make these exchanges is an important part of keeping Island children safe,” said MacLauchlan
Government is partnering with CHANCES and P.E.I. Family Resource Centres to provide these centres.
