The following statement has been issued on behalf of the Honourable Tony Wakeham, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador:
“Over the past week, there has been considerable public discussion regarding parental access to children’s health information and the implementation of MyChart through CorCare.
Let me be clear about the facts.
The policy governing access to health information has existed for decades. It was not created by Minister Evans, it was not introduced by our government, and neither the Minister nor our government changed the law or the underlying policy.
What changed was the introduction of a new digital health system, which brought greater public attention to how this long-standing policy was being applied. A memo regarding that process was prepared by Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services without sufficient context, explanation or appropriate senior-level review, and distributed through NLSchools without any additional review. Neither the Minister of Health and Community Services, the Minister of Education, nor I was made aware of that communication before it was sent.
The result was understandable confusion and concern among parents and families. The communication should have been handled differently. Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services has been directed to strengthen its approval and communications processes to ensure this does not happen again. The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development is also strengthening its review processes.
When these concerns were brought forward, Minister Evans listened and acted. She immediately raised the matter with Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services and initiated a review of the relevant legislation and policies. Our government has committed to bringing forward legislative changes this fall to ensure the law reflects the expectations of parents and families while continuing to protect children in complex and sensitive circumstances.
I want to address the deeply personal and often vicious commentary that has been directed at Minister Evans.
Public officials must always be accountable for their decisions. However, accountability never justifies personal attacks, misinformation or abuse. Much of the commentary directed toward the Minister has been based on the false claim that she created or imposed this policy. She did not.
Lela Evans has served the people of Newfoundland and Labrador with commitment and passion. I unequivocally condemn the personal attacks and unfounded allegations that have been directed toward her.
There are legitimate questions to be asked about this issue, and our government will continue to answer them. But those discussions must be grounded in facts and conducted with basic decency.
As previously communicated, our government did not create this problem. But now that we have identified it, our focus is on fixing it, restoring the confidence of parents and families, protecting youth, and ensuring the legislation is clear and reflective of the values of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.”
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