Issues

Independent Seniors Advocate Initiative

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Details: Hits: 5333

Alberta/Mackenzie Provincial CWL Vision for an Independent Seniors Advocate

The CWL journey to lobby for an Independent Seniors Advocate began with a CWL provincial initiative back in 2015 calling members to sign a petition.

The petition read:

Urge the Alberta Provincial Government to amend the Alberta Health Act to ensure that the Seniors Advocate is an Officer of the Legislature and therefore independent.

We asked the CWL members to begin a grassroots movement through the MLA’s. At that time, there was a seniors advocate, but he was accountable to the Minister of Health and there was no separate office. Because there was no separate office when a government changes, the position is at the mercy of the new government.

Alberta Independent Officers of the Legislature are impartial, non-partisan officers that operate independently from the Alberta government, political parties and individual elected officials, and are responsible to the legislative assembly. The officers carry out duties assigned by the statues and report to the Assembly through the Standing Committee on Legislative Offices.

Alberta has 7 Officers of the Legislature:

Auditor General
Chief Electoral Officer
Child and Youth Advocate
Ethics Commissioner
Information and Privacy Commissioner
Alberta Ombudsman
Public Interest Commissioner

(Source: Government of Alberta)

This CWL Call to Action sees the work of the advocate and her/his office as one that monitors and analyzes senior services as well as a resource for seniors looking for information on a variety of issues. Because seniors’ issues cross so many different ministries (health, finance, housing, social development transportation, housing, etc.) it seems necessary to have someone co-ordinate across all the ministries.

It would be the first stop for any senior or caregiver to get the necessary information they require be it health, housing, financial abuse, etc. related. It would also have the authority to investigate complaints such as inadequate care in nursing homes or abuse, etc. It would make recommendations to the government through the Standing Committee on Legislative Offices.

Background

In 2013, the idea of having a Seniors Advocate to address seniors’ issues arose out of the news that New Brunswick created a Seniors Advocate position. BC and Newfoundland have since created similar positions.

Within Alberta, Kerry Towle, a member of the Wild Rose party presented a private members bill, Bill C 208, titled the “Seniors Advocate Act” in the Fall of 2013. Unfortunately, the Bill died in the Legislature in December of 2013.

In January 2014, the Alberta Government formed the Health Care Advocate Office which included a Health Care Advocate, a Mental Health Care Advocate and a Seniors Advocate. All of these offices reported to the Minister of Health. This did not meet the criteria of our initiative: the CWL was specifically asking for an Independent Officer of the Legislature. This would mean that the Seniors Advocate would report to the Legislature and not to a Minister of the Legislature. The office, being independent, would survive a change in government and could continue with its mandate to serve the seniors in Alberta.

The following initiative was presented at the ABMK CWL convention in June 2014 and was adopted as a provincial initiative:

The Alberta Mackenzie Provincial Council of the Catholic Women’s League (ABMK CWL) wishes of their constituents to “Urge the Alberta Provincial Government to amend the Alberta Health Act to ensure that the Seniors Advocate is an Officer of the Legislature and therefore Independent”

In September of 2014, Jim Prentice became the new Premier with the Conservative Party and formed the Ministry of Seniors with Jeff Johnson as the Minister. The CWL put its petition on hold while it awaited the guidelines of this new ministry. Since the guidelines did not include independent accountability, the petition was circulated in all constituencies that had CWL councils. Over 4000 signatures were collected, and were sent to the ABMK CWL Provincial Council.

In 2015, a provincial election was called and the NDP under Rachel Notley formed the new Alberta government.

April 2016 saw the ABMK CWL President and some standing committee chairs meet with the NDP Minister of Seniors and Housing, Lori Sigurdson. She did appoint a seniors advocate, but the position was again not independent of the government.

In October 2018 the NDP was defeated by the UCP government, the UPC eliminated the seniors advocate position.

In 2020, the ABMK Provincial Council met with the UPC regarding the Seniors Advocate. While they did listen to us, no change was made to the existing ministries. Letters continue to be written with no indication of reversing their decision.

2022 Call to Action

Sample Letter

Dear MLA (see How to address dignitaries for the appropriate way to address your MLA depending on his or her position)

I’m writing to you as a member of the Catholic Women’s League of Canada and a member of your constituency.

Over the past two years we have seen the terrible effects of Covid-19 and its variants on seniors in our country. Too many have died due to inadequate care, not to mention the isolation they have had to endure. Separation from their loved ones has played havoc on their mental health. As we know, Covid-19 is not the only challenge our seniors face. Many are worried about their futures including MAiD (medical assistance in dying) as a proposed solution for their problems. Will their individual values and faith positions be respected? Will they receive the health care they deserve? Does Alberta intend to follow the lead of British Columbia and start to push MAiD in seniors’ and palliative care facilities? MAiD is not health care. As well, many seniors have challenges with housing, ageism, finances and mental, physical and emotional abuse. They need to have at the legislative level a person who can advocate on their behalf, namely an independent seniors advocate. They need someone to turn to when they become frustrated with their care or lack of it.

In September 2015, the Alberta/Mackenzie Provincial Council of the Catholic Women’s League began an initiative to have the sitting government appoint a seniors advocate who would be an independent officer of the legislature. This position being an officer of the Legislature and independent of the government, would have the ability to continue the work of advocacy on behalf of seniors after a change in government. In 2016 our president and members of the council met with the newly elected NDP government and presented our letters and petitions. They listened very carefully to our concerns. As a result, the then Housing and Seniors Minister, Lori Sigurdson appointed a seniors advocate although not an independent officer. The position did not survive a change in government.

An article titled “The Case for Seniors Advocates” in the Fall 2021 issue of Sage, a publication of the National Association of Federal Retirees advocated for seniors advocates in all provinces. In the article, they state that there is a difference between seniors ministers and seniors advocates. Ministers serve policy and political interests while advocates serve public interests. British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador all have seniors advocates and, up until 2019, so did Alberta. On April 16, 2021, the Edmonton Journal carried an article entitled “Opposition calls for Seniors Advocate”. Clearly the interest is there for a seniors advocate. The UCP abolished the Seniors Advocate in December 2019. If the position had not been abolished our vulnerable seniors and their caregivers could have had more timely and effective help, instead of the mayhem that unfolded in seniors care.

This is where you come in. It’s time to do something really positive for Alberta. This is an issue which crosses all party interests. Appointing an Independent Seniors Advocate is the right thing to do for the citizens of Alberta. Alberta needs to show leadership with this issue and meet the needs of its most vulnerable citizens.

Sincerely,

2017 Update Report

2014/2015 Original CWL Initiative

Human trafficking action plan

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Details: Hits: 998

The Government of Alberta is implementing a nine-point Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking to protect at-risk individuals from being trafficked in Alberta, empower survivors of trafficking, and provide new remedies to deal with traffickers.

Human trafficking is a serious crime that takes three forms: sexual exploitation, forced labour trafficking, and trafficking in human organs or tissues. Traffickers exploit people of all ages, ethnicities and genders, forcing their victims to provide labour or sexual services against their will and using threats of violence to trap them in a cycle of exploitation.

Key actions

The nine-point Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking will:

adopt the “2002 Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons” (Palermo Protocol) definition of human trafficking
create a provincial Human Trafficking Task Force which will bring together representatives of relevant ministries, agencies, police services, and community groups to share information and coordinate action on an ongoing basis
increase efforts to educate the public, particularly vulnerable groups, about the reality of human trafficking, and report tips to the new National Human Trafficking Hotline
ensure appropriate training for judges, prosecutors and first responders, including police officers, nurses and doctors
ensure the Ministry of Labour provides information to Temporary Foreign Workers in Alberta about their rights under Canadian law
work with community groups, other provinces and the federal government to collect and share better data on human trafficking, and to ensure coordinated action as part of the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking
name and shame traffickers by publishing the names of businesses found to have knowingly facilitated human trafficking
lobby the federal government to strengthen penalties against human traffickers by bringing Bill C-452 into force
Introduce legislation to establish a process for restraining orders, torts and proclaim a Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

Source: Government of Alberta

Community Initiatives

Blood Tribe police (March 2022) announce plans to have a human trafficking outreach program by fall 2022. Read more

In-School Dental screening for Children in Alberta in Grades K-12

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Details: Hits: 1660

One of the actions local CWL councils are called upon by the Alberta Mackenzie Provincial Council is to contact provincial government officials regarding our provincial resolution 2019.01 which was passed last June at the Alberta Mackenzie Provincial Convention.

On February 24^th, the Catholic Women’s League Provincial President Judy Look and members of her executive met with representatives from Health, Education, and Children’s Services of the Alberta government.

I invite you to use the following two template letters to write to the Members of the Alberta Legislative Assembly regarding Alberta Mackenzie Provincial Resolution 2019.01: that annual universal dental screenings be immediately implemented in all Alberta schools for school-aged children from grades K-12.

Please use the first letter template to write the Premier, the Minister of Education, and the Minister of Health. Use the second template for your own MLA. You may find your MLA’s contact information at Who is my MLA? which will ask for your address and provide you with their name and contact information.

Tips: It will be more effective if you change the letter slightly to make it your own. (Form letters are not effective.) Be brief. Be polite. Ask a question. Be sure to use exact wording from the resolution.

For God and Canada,

Gayleen Hamilton
Legislation Chair,
Calgary Diocesan Catholic Women’s League

Palliative Care

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Details: Hits: 2551

During the past months we have been given the blessing of time to contemplate what is important in our lives and in our society. Many of us are prioritizing the importance of a health care system that cultivates a culture of care and love for people at all life stages..

This is an opportune time to use our letter-writing energy to urge our government to seriously hear our concerns about two issues: (1) the providing of palliative care for all Canadians who choose this option near the end of their lives; and (2) the suggested removal of safeguards to Bill C-7.

National President Anne Marie Gorman's letter to the Prime Minister is posted on the National website "Letters" page. Access it at: https://cwl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/20200304-Gorman-to-Trudeau-re.-Bill-C7.pdf

We encourage everyone to contact government leaders on the following two concerns.

Palliative Care: In 2017 the Federal Government put forward the Framework on Palliative Care in Canada. The government promised to invest $3 billion into national home care services including palliative care. Has funding been made? How can Canadians make informed decisions about their end of life treatment when quality palliative care is readily available to only 15% of Canadians (2018 Health Canada Report)? On May 17, 2020 Zi-Ann Lum published “Will the Pandemic Finally Make Us Talk About Palliative Care?” in the Huffington Post, Canadian Edition. I encourage you to read it if you want more information.
Bill C-7, Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD): There are concerns about removing some of the safeguards placed in the existing legislation. First, the government is proposing to remove the mandatory 10 day waiting period before a patient can receive medically assisted death stating that the waiting period may unnecessarily prolong suffering. Second, the government is proposing to remove the need for two witnesses. Both safeguards exist so that patients can make an informed decision about their end of life care without pressure and with appropriate verification. Presently the Bill has undergone two readings. There is still time to write letters and email the government to express our concerns about the removal of these safeguards.

Sample letters to the Prime Minister, Justice Minister, Health Minister and Member of Parliament are posted under Legislation Tips and Tools. Adjust them as you wish. See the Forms and Resources page for our letter writing guide and contact information for MPs and MLAs.

Through faith, we have a moral compass that guides our actions daily to help and protect the vulnerable in our society. May our Lady of Good Counsel guide you as you work for God and Canada.

Federal Legislation Bill C-51

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Rating 5.00 (1 Vote)

Details: Hits: 4503

Federal legislation, Bill C51, was introduced by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada on June 6, 2017. This bill clarifies certain aspects of the Criminal Code of Canada and also repeals certain sections of the Code. Unfortunately clause 14 of the bill requests to remove section 176 from the criminal code. Presently section 176 prohibits obstructing a religious leader from conducting a religious ceremony and it prohibits disturbing an assembly gathered for a religious, moral, or social purpose. The bill does not give an alternative for this section, therefore if the bill passes with clause 14 intact it would then not be illegal to obstruct a religious leader from conducting a religious ceremony or for individuals to cause a disturbance at an assembled gathering.

Thank you to Shirley Christo in Ontario for bringing this to my attention.

You will find below the related letter that Shirley sent to her MP. Shirley has given her permission for this to be sent as an example for members to use in writing their own MPs regarding this important issue.