Wildrose Alliance Questions Government's Christmas Clawback of Services to Vulnerable Citizens

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Edmonton, AB (December 16, 2009): Today, Deputy Leader Paul Hinman questioned the Government of Alberta's plans to quietly claw back funding to social agencies and service providers who are carrying out important work in the province without consultation or an actual plan.

"While we have warned the government for years that they need to reduce overall spending, they have chosen to cut front-line services for people with developmental disabilities - the most vulnerable people possible," stated Hinman. "The government has an obligation to make sure that the most vulnerable in our society are looked after. For the Tories to make their first concrete cuts here is repulsive and disgraceful."

In emails and letters sent out on December 9, the government tells People with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) agencies that they have until December 18 to present a business plan that will make "adjustments to current-year contracts."

"Instead of showing real leadership by rolling back the obscene wage hike that Premier Stelmach and his cabinet have received, or in cutting back on the explosion of costs in his own office, social agencies and charities are now taking the hit,"added Hinman.

A Wildrose Alliance solution to this would be:

• To lead by example. Instead of expecting agencies that help the most vulnerable to meet the needs mandated by government, the first cuts should come in the Premier's Office and his costly public relations activities and ad campaigns.

• Cut the expenses and cost increases in the Premier's Office and his Executive Office by at least 25 per cent and place an immediate freeze on all discretionary bonuses for the same staff. Instead of asking for money back from PDD service providers, perhaps the $40 million in discretionary bonuses paid out to senior government managers (over and above any contractual obligations) could be returned to cover these immediate needs.

• Actually sitting down with the employees and service providers who help carry out an important mandate for people in need.

• Asking for the agencies' help to reduce costs, identify outdated programs and monitor costs effectively.

• Implement the findings of the Auditor General's 2009 report that noted that the government (NOT the agencies) has not put proper cost and monitoring controls in place for these third-party contracts.

• Ensure that funding is targeted to outcomes and solutions for clients, instead of overly costly and constant re-assessments (different than monitoring and proper business controls) being carried out by government and outside consultants for the same thing.

"Instead, the Stelmach government is once again showing its willingness to break contracts that it has already signed and is hoping that the people who are affected by about a 10 per cent cut to the PDD budget will not speak out or that Albertans will forget this cruel Christmas cut," Hinman concluded.

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For more information media are invited to contact:

Shawn Howard
Director of Communications, Office of the Leader
Wildrose Alliance Party
Phone:   403-850-0885 (media only)

Email:

Details of cutbacks are still coming to agencies. However, the documents seen so far make it clear that People with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) expects agencies to cut both administrative expenses and actual services delivered. The organizations that do the actual service are mostly charities.  One sample agency showed an administrative expense of about 11 per cent, compared to PDD's own government administrative expense of 22 per cent.

The Stelmach government is really asking its contractors to cut the hours of service they provide to the most vulnerable people -- people with autism, Down's Syndrome and those who live with serious brain damage. Some of the agencies that have already been notified of funding cuts are the Calgary Scope Society (www.calgaryscope.org), Alberta Association for Community Living (www.aacl.org) and Options (www.optionsplus.org).

Part of the problem appears to stem from mismanagement by the government. The proportion of administrative expenses for PDD appears to have risen over recent years, while the money allocated for actual services has proportionately declined.  Contracting agencies in Calgary, the first region apparently affected, are required to provide PDD with an explanation of how they will implement the cuts by Friday, December 18, 2009.