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Members of New Brunswick’s legislature voted Friday to quickly hold public hearings into why Social Development failed to intervene before the death of a teen formerly in the department’s care.
A report issued by Child and Youth Advocate Kelly Lamrock on Thursday shows the department was warned at least 15 times that a teen, identified only as Bobby, was in trouble — homeless, addicted to fentanyl, and being supplied drugs by his mother.
Bobby’s story prompted a government motion to have the legislature’s social policy committee review and hear witness testimony on the issues raised in the report.
That was a step Lamrock had called for in response after his office’s investigation.
But it was also a rare case of members across party lines giving consent for the legislature to move faster than usual.
While that consensus was eventually reached on Friday, Glen Savoie, the interim Progressive Conservative leader, sought assurances in the house that all parties would get equal opportunity to call witnesses.
WATCH | ‘Nobody watched, understood, cared’: MLAs heed advocate’s report:
All parties agree to speed up hearings on Bobby’s story
Members of the New Brunswick Legislature voted unanimously to start the committee process within 30 days.
“We need to know before we give any consent that this is not going to be a one-directional decision by government on who gets to appear and who doesn’t,” Savoie said.
Glen Savoie, the interim Progressive Conservative leader, said it was horrible to read Bobby’s story, tearing up as he spoke about it. (Tara King-Stewart/CBC)
House leaders later met during a recess to discuss details, before MLAs unanimously agreed to pass the motion and have the committee meet within 30 days.
Savoie said the ability to call witnesses will be an important part of the review.
He wants to understand how Social Development staff involved in Bobby’s case are being held accountable, and what steps the department is taking to prevent the situation from repeating.
“There were so many warning signs,” Savoie said, tearing up as he spoke. “He overdosed, was in a hospital, and not long after that he was dead. And he died in a place where nobody should ever be. Nobody watched, understood, cared.
“It’s the fact that he died, yes, that’s the ultimate failure. But it was the failures for his entire life.”
Savoie ultimately hopes the case is a “wakeup call” for the department to start implementing the updated child welfare laws passed in 2022 under the previous government.
Green Party MLA Megan Mitton said the issues raised in Bobby’s story are recurring and require attention. (Tara King-Stewart/CBC)
“We passed a very important piece of legislation, but the execution after that has been severely lacking. And so we have to be resolute that this never happens again.”
Green Party MLA Megan Mitton said the same problems have persisted over time.
“I think back to Jackie Brewer, who died in 1996 at the age of two.” Mitton said. “And at that time, social services failed her.
“Things haven’t gotten better … and this can’t go on. It’s literally causing people to die.”
WATCH | Social services heard 16 complaints about child’s family before she died:
Jacqueline Dawn Brewer 1994 – 1996
After Jackie Brewer was found dead in her Saint John crib, the government promised change.
The social policy committee was struck 10 years ago, said Marco LeBlanc, the government house leader, but has so far not been used.
It’s one of several committees of the legislature that give representatives of all political parties a chance to study a topic and in some cases to call witnesses and hear testimony.
The process will start within 30 days, LeBlanc said, but how long it will last and who will testify has yet to be decided.
“It’s important that we do thorough work on what is needed from those reports and hear all the stories that we need to hear,” LeBlanc told reporters in Fredericton.
Kelly Lamrock, New Brunswick’s child and youth advocate, recommended a committee hear testimony on the issues raised in his report. (Allyson McCormack/CBC)
Speaking with CBC News after the motion passed, Lamrock said he’s hopeful Bobby’s story has moved legislators to act fast.
“There’s 49 people who are supposed to collectively keep an eye on the money and power they send to the bureaucracy,” Lamrock said.
“And when they can overcome the choreography of partisan politics and actually engage, I think there’s a lot of power in that.”
