CFS, politics and Lesley Hughes

First off, a story that reporter Gary Lawless posted to our website earlier today: Family Services and Housing minister Gord Mackintosh says his department won’t pay for spa days for an agency funded by his department. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation brought this issue to Mackintosh’s attention and his office quashed the possibility of payment for massage and manicures for staffers at the All Nations Coordinated Response Network, the federation said today in a news release. Back in May, the All Nations Coordinated Response Network held a wellness day for team building and staff morale," said Mackintosh. "It’s an agency that is part of the network of agencies that work in child welfare. They’re accountable to the Southern Authority. They raised about $2,500 in sponsorships and corporate donations and there was about $2,300 left. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation brought this to our attention and we contacted the Southern Authority and they went back to the agency. We nipped it. It’s not an appropriate use of taxpayers’ money."Tarot card reading, manicures, pedicures, make-up lessons and cooking lessons were some of the activities provided to employees during the spa day. The All Nations Coordinated Response Network is an agency that is funded by government grants.After the CTF filed information requests, the agency was told it could not use taxpayer dollars to pay the $2,292.81 bill for the inappropriate activities. Instead, the agency will have to fundraise in order to pay for the services provided to staff.Now, it's really hard to know where to go with this one. While the child welfare system in this province is in chaos, staff are off having their tarot cards read? Who is running this system? And how long can Gord Mackintosh continue to deflect questions to the Southern Authority's Elsie Flette?It's his department. The buck -- and the pedicures -- have to stop in his office.^^^Veteran journalist Lesley Hughes has been asked by Stephane Dion to step down as a Liberal candidate. The decision was reached after the blog world unearthed a troubling column Hughes had written post 9/11.Here's the link to the story:http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/story/4231241p-4872441c.htmlTell me what you think? Should she have been forced to step down? Was she foolish to toss her hat in the ring in the first place?^^^Finally the six aboriginal foster children I've been writing about will not be returned to their non-native foster parents. They were seized in early September after allegations of inappropriate discipline. Turns out one of the nails in the coffin was a helpful neighbour who called CFS to say the kids were spending too much time doing yard work.In three weeks, these profoundly damaged kids (mom's a crack addict doing time for running a drug-ridden brothel in the family home) have been taken from the people who raised them for three years, moved to a hotel, separated, housed with a rotating series of caregivers in a St. Vital house and moved again. Word is they've been separated again.Why do I doubt the system, intent on having their futures told, are blind to the futures of these kids? Look for my column in tomorrow's paper.LATE BREAKING NEWS: I just got an e-mail from a Family Services communications person who  read this blog and claims the decision is not irrevocable. She says the investigation has yet to be completed. This flies in the face of what I was told by Anishinaabe honcho Dave Rundle Thursday and everyone else involved in the case Friday. I'll keep you posted. 7 p.m. Friday LR