Trudeau gov't spends $110K to deny FN girl $6K dental work

[Rwede]

Ottawa spent $110K in legal fees fighting First Nations girl over $6K dental procedure


'As a taxpayer, I'm absolutely floored,' First Nations advocate Cindy Blackstock says

By John Paul Tasker, CBC News Posted: Sep 29, 2017 5:00 AM ET Last Updated: Sep 29, 2017 5:10 AM ET


The federal Liberal government has spent more than $110,000 fighting a First Nations girl in court to block payment for orthodontic treatment that cost just $6,000, according to documents released under the Access to Information Act and shared with CBC News.

The Cree teen, Josey Willier, had ongoing problems with her teeth that resulted in chronic aching pain in her lower gums.

'Jane Philpott is a medical doctor, and she goes along with using lawyers to deny services — that's simply perverse, it's bordering on institutional malevolence.'
- NDP MP Charlie Angus

She took over-the-counter pain medication daily for two years because of extreme discomfort associated with impacted teeth and a severe overbite, among other ailments. A Calgary-based orthodontist, Mark Antosz, recommended braces to avoid invasive jaw surgery in the future.

Stacey Shiner, the child's mother, sought payment for the braces under the First Nations and Inuit health benefit program, but was denied by Health Canada, the department that administers the insurance plan. She appealed three times to no avail, and ultimately took the case to Federal Court.

Between January 2016 and April 2017, the government spent $110,336.51 in legal fees as part of its fight to avoid paying for the procedure. The final cost will likely be higher, as a decision on this case was not handed down until May.

Last fall, the Liberals voted to support an NDP motion that called on the government to stop fighting Indigenous families who are seeking access to services covered by Ottawa — but only two days after that vote, government lawyers were back in court fighting Shiner.

"This was an opportunity for this government to show that they were going to make reconciliation real on the ground, and instead it's the same old brass knuckles approach to squashing basic treatment for children," NDP MP Charlie Angus said in an interview.

'As a human being, I think it's immoral'

Cindy Blackstock, the executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society and an advocate for equal treatment of Indigenous children, was an intervener in Shiner's case.

"I think it's atrocious," she told CBC News. "As a human being, I think it's immoral that Canada would not fund services where two concurring pediatric orthodontists agree that without treatment this girl will experience chronic pain and will have difficulty eating and talking.

"As a taxpayer, I'm absolutely floored that Canada would spend $110,000 defending [against] a $6,000 investment to help a child. They could have used that money to buy 18 children in medical need the orthodontic services they needed."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/health- ... -1.4310224

[techrtr]

WTH, we'll spend millions feeding, housing, and providing medical care for illegal border jumpers, but we can't pay for $6000 worth of dental work for a kid who was born here. This country is getting seriously messed up. I'm surprised Justine didn't jump at the chance to have before and after selfies taken with the kid (maybe he still will to smooth this whole thing over).

[bob vernon]

Wasn't this a good investment in the fight against encroaching socialism? If we don't draw a line, then all native kids will want
free dental treatment. And if that happens, won't some kinda DentalCare be next, sucking more taxes out of our pockets?

[maryjane48]

Wasn't this a good investment in the fight against encroaching socialism? If we don't draw a line, then all native kids will want
free dental treatment. And if that happens, won't some kinda DentalCare be next, sucking more taxes out of our pockets?

yes the irony of the op .

[Jlabute]

Trudeau seemed keen to save legal costs in regards to Khadr. Now everyone will think it was done to avoid having embarrassing facts become public. Perhaps the best form of reconciliation is to get rid of Trudeau.

[FreeRights]

Trudeau seemed keen to save legal costs in regards to Khadr. Now everyone will think it was done to avoid having embarrassing facts become public. Perhaps the best form of reconciliation is to get rid of Trudeau.

You've been crying so much since Trudeau got elected that I'm surprised you have any tears left.

This is a hilarious article to post to be anti - Liberals though. If Trudeau paid it out, you'd all be the first to call him out for that. Absolutely frustrating, yet classic, partisanship.