What's new in November 2008

NOTHING.  

From what I can gather our government is still 'studying' the issue.  If you study something long enough, maybe it will just go away.  The present government has been studying the concept of open adoption records for 9 years, and nothing has happened.  How long does this subject have to be studied?  Many of the members of the present government were in opposition when the previous government studied the issue, and finally opened up adoption records, but only for future adoptions.  What has changed?  The results of the study done in 1997 is still applicable today.  What more do they have to study?  

If this issue can be delayed until the next election, then the present government may not have to deal with it.  Maybe I am cynical but after 15 years of lobbying, hearing the voices of the adoption community of Manitoba wanting open records, and nothing has yet happened, who would not be cynical.

We have been told that the question of open adoption records has to be 'studied' to make sure that it is appropriate for the citizens of Manitoba.  Why?  Are we so different from the citizens of Newfoundland/Labrador, British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario who have opened their records.  I was always led to believe that all citizens of Canada are equal.  What has happened?

I do not blame the Minister, who could exert his power if he truly understood the issue, but I do blame the unelected bureaucrats  who advise the Minister, and who are responsible to do the studies and to make recommendations to the Minister.  They are the ones who wield the power in the legislature and are the people who can influence the decisions of the Minister.  A Minister is only appointed to a department for a short time.  They are new to the job, have a lot to learn about the department, and rely heavily on the unelected staff to advise them.  Often the staff they rely on transmit their own biases.  If they are opposed to open adoption records then they will do everything in their power to derail any attempt to open them.  Hopefully a Minister can see through this veil of deceit and do what is right by the adoption community of Manitoba.

The legislature will sit later in November for approximately one month.  Maybe, just maybe, something will be forthcoming.

Roy Kading

LINKS

August 6, 2008 update

From what we have been told, the government is studying the open adoption laws of other jurisdictions to determine what would be the best for Manitoba. As far as we are concerned, just opening the adoption laws would be the best for Manitoba. So many other jurisdictions have done it and it is working well. What is different about the citizens of Manitoba?

I was given to understand that there would be some announcement very shortly about changes to the law, but have heard nothing yet. I appears that the government wants to go through a public information/discussion/opinion style of meeting again. The last one was done in 1997 and was shown to be in unanimous opinion that the adoption laws should be open. The government of the day must have recognized this because they passed the new law opening adoption records, but only for those people adopted after March 15, 1999. They will be able to get their identifying birth records, but the government did not see fit to make the law retroactive so there are thousands of adoptees being denied their birth information, and thousands of birthfamilies being denied information about the children given for adoption. The government can say that they have open adoption records. This is a fallacy because the open records only apply from March 1999 to the future and do not apply from approx. 1925 to 1999. Those adoptees and birthparents are still being treated as second class citizens, and are being denied information that all other citizens of Canada know by right of birth.

Please go to our website and send e-mails to all our MLA's, and the Minister of Family Services and Housing, voicing your opinion on this important subject. It is about time that all citizens of Manitoba and Canada are treated equally.

Roy Kading
LINKS