The Alberta NDP say they're supporting victims of crime in the province when they call on Premier Jason Kenney and the UCP government to immediately halt plans to raid a fund that has helped those victims through tragic losses they've suffered.  

But Airdrie-East MLA Angela Pitt believes the NDP has no business making those accusations against her party since they did little to help victims during their time in the government chairs.

Pitt was recently named co-chair of a working group being called on to review the financial benefits program of the fund as well as to consult on the creation of a new victims' assistance model that will be launched in 2021.  She says there are many things she could say about the NDP's accusations.

"First, they did little to address the concerns from the report from the auditor general that came out in 2016.  Only near the end of their four-year mandate did we see some of that money that's sitting in the victims of crime fund actually being given out to service providers.  And, in that, Airdrie received no money while other small to mid-sized cities received an increase to their victim's service organizations."

Pitt says it's been no secret that there have been inequities in funding much-needed services that groups such as the Airdrie and District Victims Assistance Society provide to victims of crime in the area.  Pitt believes that inequity gives the NDP no right to criticize.

"I'm actually quite angry about it because there was an additional four years under the NDP government where they essentially refused to provide Airdrie with the resources needed to take care of the people in our community and they (NDP) should absolutely be ashamed."

Late last week the NDP said the UCP's Bill-16 would allow them to expand the use of the Victims of Crime Fund to help pay for policing initiatives where it was previously used for to provide for Albertans like Karen Venables whose son Devin died after being assaulted outside a bar in 2002.

Pitt says Bill-16 does expand the scope of services that can be funded through the victims of crime fund.  For instance, it allows for more Crown Prosecutors to be hired so fewer cases will be thrown out due to the Jordan ruling.  Pitt also says it's important to note that fines have been increased going into the fund.

"So the revenues coming into this fund have been higher.  There have been no organizations across the province that are currently serving victims that have been negatively impacted financially by this legislation and there have been no cuts to the dollars that are going to the groups currently serving victims."

Pitt says it's shameful that the NDP are choosing to fearmonger regarding Bill-16.

NDP Justice Critic Kathleen Ganley says the legislation robs victims of crime of support when they need it the most.  Ganley says she, and other opposition MLAs will use every tool available to them to try to defeat Bill-16 or at least force the government into further consultation.

Pitt says the working group that's she's co-chairing with Tracy Allard, the MLA for Grande Prairie, will begin their consultation process in July.  They'll be talking to victim's assistance groups such as ADVAS along with child advocacy centres and women's shelters in the province.  She says they hope to bring recommendations to cabinet for legislation by later this fall.  

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