Gordon Hogg, Minister of Children and Family Development, has received another report that documents the failure of his ministry to adequately prepare for handing off responsibility for adults with developmental difficulties and children with special needs. Hogg did not issue a news release, but merely posted the report to his ministry's website on December 23rd - how's that for "taking out the garbage" when no one is looking? Hogg's response is found in an exchange of letters with his deputy, also posted to the website, in which the deputy assures the minister that they will meet the timelines by June 2004; those are the timelines they failed to meet for the last two years. Why would anyone, especially Hogg, believe that they can do in five months what they failed to do in over two years, or do the letters mean that they will forge ahead, whether they are ready or not?

Hogg's plan calls for transferring responsibility for slightly less than half his ministry (in dollar terms $512 million in 2004-05, cut from $631 million in 2002-03 with further cuts scheduled in the plan) to a "community-based Authority known as Community Living BC ("CLBC")." Approximately 8,600 adults with developmental disabilities receive the services that are in question. After failing to meet a June 2003 date for enabling legislation, the Sage Management Group was contracted to determine the reasons for failure. It recommended that an independent panel assess whether everything was in place for "the proposed devolution of community living services by June 2004." The panel consisted of Bert Boyd (hospital administrator), Vince Collins (former Deputy Minister) and Arlene Gladstone (former Executive Director of Family Services of the North Shore). The panel's report stated "…the Panel has concluded that the only way devolution of services can be accomplished successfully by June 2004 is if the parties resolve three key outstanding issues by January 31, 2004, and implement a comprehensive project management plan, managed by a dedicated project team, that addresses a number of actions that must be completed within the next five-six months."

In what can only be taken as damning criticism, the report states "During the assessment, the Panel was struck by the degree of change and instability that has surrounded and continues to influence this important initiative." Examples of instability include "lack of a dedicated project team", changes in Ministry officials, the Ministry's pre-occupation with planning for "next year's budget reductions", and changes in the new Authority's Board of Directors which has prevented the search for a CEO. That chaos is in direct contradiction to a promise in the New Era Document to bring stability to the Ministry. No one who has a loved one in the care of the Ministry can take comfort in assurances in the Deputy's letter that "As adherence to deadlines is important in achieving the June 2004 target date, I can assure you that those target dates will be considered as firm and I remain convinced that they are achievable." Both the Minister and the Deputy receive bonuses in their pay cheques for balancing their budgets by implementing major cuts, but they are not penalized if clients go without necessary services.