Child intervention workers who testify should be protected, Wildrose says

The Wildrose wants frontline workers and managers to be given whistleblower protection if they testify before an all-party committee looking into ways to preventthe deaths of children in care.

"We've seen where whistleblower protection brings evidence forward that wouldn't be available otherwise and I do believein this particular case, I can't imagine anything more important than the children,"WildroseLeader Brian Jean said.

Theprovision was part of a ten-point motion introduced in the legislature Tuesday by Wildrose opposition house leader Nathan Cooper.

• Serenity's death prompts government to set up all-party task force
• 'We actually don't want children to die': Feehan defends NDP record on child welfare

Last week, Human Services Minister Irfan Sabir said the government would go ahead with an idea from interim PC leader Ric McIver to set up an all-party committee of MLAs.

Cooper said Sabir hasn't released any details since then, including when the committee will start its work.

"This is a matter of significant urgency," he said.

He said the motion should be dealt with Tuesday since session could end at any point this week. However, Cooper's plea fell on deaf ears. MLAs declined to give unanimous consent to debate the motion.

The Wildrose proposal would have had the committee chaired by the Speaker, deputy speaker or the deputy chair of committees.It would have been madeup of seven government MLAs, three from the Wildrose, two from the Progressive Conservatives, Liberal leader David Swann and Alberta Party leader Greg Clark.

Last month, MLAs were horrified to learn about the death of Serenity, a four-year-old Indigenous girl who died while in kinship care.

The child suffered severe head traumain September 2014. She was emaciated, bruised and had injuries suggesting she had been sexually assaulted.

Her case is still under investigation by the RCMP.

MLAs held an emergency debate into the deaths of children in government care on Nov. 21.