Make Your Voice Heard: The Select Standing Committee Consultations

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It’s been a little over a year since the BC NDP formed its minority government with the support of the BC Green Party. Over that time, our new government has begun to address some of our province’s long-standing issues and has made good on some of its key promises. But there are also significant issues and service areas that need more attention and more funding. (And there are also some that have yet to be addressed at all.)

Starting next month, we will have the chance to draw attention to these issues and to help inform the next provincial budget. The Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services will begin the consultation process for the 2019 Provincial Budget on September 17th.

Consultation Dates and Submission Information

Online registration to present at the public hearings opens on September 7th. (The dates and locations of the public hearings are listed below and on the consultation website.) The process to submit a written, audio and video submission, as well as complete the online survey, opens on September 17th.

We encourage all of our members to present or make a submission. Your voices need to be heard. The committee needs to hear what you’re experiencing and what you’re struggling with. They also need to hear what must change in order to ensure that all British Columbians have the supports they need where and when they need them.

Sustainability and Supports

The Federation will be focusing our presentation on the sustainability of the sector (i.e., Employer Health Tax, wage compression, recruitment and retention) and on the urgent need for investments to support children in care (i.e., foster parent compensation, residential care). We will share our full presentation with Federation members in September.

This is one of the best opportunities we have to explain the importance of what we do, share the positive impact of our work, and provide valuable insight into how to support the social care sector so we can do even more!

And while some members of the committee—former MCFD Minister Stephanie Cadieux and MLA Mitzi Dean—will be very familiar with the issues we are facing, other members will not. So this is a rare chance to help even more politicians better understand the value of social care and the profound and important role our sector plays in British Columbia.

Make your voice heard!

The current list of dates and locations are listed below. You can learn more about the consultation process and how to participate here. You can learn more about the Select Standing Committee and its members here. The consultation period closes on October 15th.

One way or another, I encourage you to make sure your voice is heard. It needs to be. If you or your organization need assistance preparing, please contact Rebecca at The Federation office. We’re here to help!​

Select Standing Committee Public Hearing Locations

– Dawson Creek (September 17)
– Prince George (September 18)
– Smithers (September 18)
– Masset (September 19)
– Campbell River (September 20)
– Vancouver (September 24)
– Cranbrook (September 25)
– Trail (September 25)
– Nelson (September 26)
– Kamloops (September 26)
– Kelowna (September 27)
– Esquimalt (October 9)
– Mission (October 10)
– Surrey (October 11)

Rick FitzZaland
Federation Executive Director