The world is in a bit of turmoil these days especially as we watch our neighbours to the south decide whether they want Donald or Billary as president(s).
Meanwhile, Canadians, by and large, can rest in our comfortable pews – courtesy of our gentler, kinder, consultative senior governments and an emerging independent Senate. And so, filled with self-congratulatory pride, I came to Charlottetown, where Sir John A. and his drinking buddies created a nation called Canada.
I am attending the annual meeting of the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) where I have the luxury of taking time to reflect on Canada and our nation’s children.
In 2005, the CPS decided to monitor what our provincial and federal governments were doing to improve our children's health and safety. The report is called Are We Doing Enough? The Society chose to examine disease prevention, health promotion, injury prevention and best interests of children and youth. The 2016 edition has just been released. This status report examines governmental policy and legislation, and the effectiveness of advocacy by CPS and other non-governmental agencies in influencing governments to make effective decisions.
My comments on this report at this time are deliberately selective. Overall, I am in agreement with its conclusions. Compared to other provinces Alberta is in the below average range with our performance rankings scattered from poor to good. None was rated excellent. At the same time, I do take issue with what was expected of us in injury prevention. For instance, the criteria for meeting the targets for operating all-terrain-vehicles and snowmobiles was to prohibit off-road vehicle operation and make helmet use and safety training mandatory. Frankly, I would much prefer to have under 16-year-olds off the roads than on them, particularly in rural areas. At the same time, I cannot understand why we legislate that children wear helmets when riding bicycles, but not when driving motorized vehicles. Further, Alberta adults can ride bare-headed. We are also the only province without automobile booster seat legislation. That’s just plain stupid.
The report is also critical on just about every government’s actions related to Jordan’s Principle. Jordan River Anderson was an on-reserve First Nation boy living in Manitoba. His medical needs were complex enough that he had an extended hospital stay. When it came time to discharge him, the two governments argued over who should pay for his at-home care. He never made it home. Jordan’s Principle, endorsed by the House of Commons in 2007 and the Alberta legislature in 2008, requires the government of first contact to provide the service and then resolve the funding issue. The federal government’s action is ranked at the ‘still pending’ level. Indeed, it was given this same ranking in its legislative responsibilities on immunization, smoking prevention in youth, early childhood development, child and youth poverty, and the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission as it applies to children. The ‘pending’ ranking for the federal government responsibilities recognizes that ‘thoughtful policy change takes time’ and that the current federal government is early in its elected mandate.
Canada and Alberta can do better. But then adults love the wind in their hair on the way to polling stations and our children aren’t allowed to vote.
Alan Murdock is a local pediatrician.
