Opposition leaders endorse Lamrock findings, but report's future not clear

Kelly Lamrock's call for sweeping changes to government policy-making now faces the same uncertain future as other major reports: will it get implemented? 

Opposition parties were quick to agree Monday with the findings of the 49-page document released Monday by the child, youth and seniors' advocate.

But it was less clear that the report will — or even can — spur a dramatic reorientation of priorities.

Opposition Liberal Leader Susan Holt said her party agreed with the "overall concept" but would be "exploring" the specific recommendations, which, she said, could not be easily put into effect in a single four-year term.

"It's a philosophical change to how we govern," she said.

"It's about putting people before protocol, and it's about introducing a level of flexibility and a bit of a decentralization to how we govern, which requires courage."

She said Lamrock's report will have an impact on how the Liberals govern if they win this year's election.

Green Leader David Coon said he would implement the report if he became premier but he was not optimistic the other two parties would.

"It takes leadership to make these changes, and that leadership is not in place," he said.

In a statement, Premier Blaine Higgs said the government will examine the report and is looking forward to a second report from Lamrock this week addressing "core issue" in the long-term care sector. 

"We understand that reviews such as this often grow in breadth and depth and end up with a cross-departmental lens to the issue at hand," the statement said.

"Unfortunately, there were limited conversations with government leadership, and ministers, on what was included in this ad hoc report."

Lamrock, a former cabinet minister himself, released the report, How It All Broke, in an attempt to diagnose why a range of provincial social policies and programs appear to be in crisis.

He said he decided to issue a broader report after seeing common issues in several departments he has examined.