Alberta opposition parties end boycott of NDP's child care panel

Alberta's opposition parties have called off their boycott of the NDP's review of the government's child intervention system.

The Wildrose, PCs, Liberals andAlberta Partyhave agreed torevised terms of reference for anall-party panel, which theysaywill speed up the review and allow them to participate.

"All the opposition together were concerned that the panel was one, not going to be focused enough to be able to make changes fast," Jason Nixon, Wildrose MLA for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre told CBC News. It was a concern that revisions to the plan have alleviated.

"We believe that we need action as fast as possible on this file," Nixon said.

Initially, the opposition parties said they would boycott the panel unless changes were made to the makeup and terms of reference.Theycalledit a 'sham vehicle of a government bent on whitewashing.'

• Opposition parties boycott NDP-led child welfare panel

• Irfan Sabir won't resign over delays in giving police report on child who died in care

• 'More children are going to get hurt,' province warned on eve of review

"We are pleased to see all members of the legislature coming together to address challenges facing our child intervention system," Human Services Minister Irfan Sabirsaid in a statementThursday.

The trucecomes exactly two weeksafterSabirrefused to heed opposition calls to resign over the handling of an investigationinto a death of a child in kinship care. Instead, the ministerannounced the creation of an all-partypanel tolook intoproblems within the system.

The NDP wascriticized for calling yet another review of the system, after six reviews had been done in eight years with intangible results. The opposition now says the panel will review the recommendations from the previous panel as a priority.

The opposition parties also saidthey now have "received assurances" that the panel will includewhistleblowerprotection for front-lineworkers who want to speak out about sensitive information.

"We don't have exactlythe wording that we would like to see, but we have the minister's commitment to make sure that it happens," Nixon said.

But one key thing that hasn't changed is the makeup of the panel. The opposition parties hadarguedthe panel was stacked in the NDP government's favour. The new terms of reference still callfor two outside experts, five NDPMLAsplusSabir, and one MLA from each of the four opposition parties.

Alberta Party Leader Greg Clark said he would have preferredtohave an equal number of oppositionMLAson the panel.

"Of course we wanted all the changes that we proposed last week," he admitted. "But that's life, we're not always going to get everything we want."

Added Clark: "I think this panel is going to be significantly improved over what was proposed."

The calls earlier this month for Sabirto resignas Human Services minister were due todelays in getting a report to the RCMPon thedeath of a four-year-old child known as Serenity, who wasin kinship care.

The handlingof the case triggeredheateddebateduring the fall legislature sitting.

Serenity had been living with relatives on a central Alberta reservewhen she was airlifted to the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton with severe brain trauma.

She was on life support until she died in September2014.

The panel will write a report within the next eight to 10 weeks, with recommendations on how to improve Alberta's child intervention system.