MacLeod says denial is "morally wrong"

SYDNEY RIVER, NS - Today in the Legislature, Cape Breton West MLA Alfie MacLeod continued calls that the Minister of Community Service is losing sight of her obligation to protect those in her care.

Recently, Minister Denise Peterson-Rafuse showed questionable judgment when she published a confidential report on Talbot House, a report riddled with suggestive allegations against Father Abbass.

"The allegations contained in the report were found to be baseless and false well before Peterson-Rafuse published the report," said MacLeod. "The fact that she went ahead and published the report without any note asserting Father Abbass’ innocence was morally wrong and unfair."

MacLeod says the Minister is so caught up in the processes of her department that she has lost sight of her overriding responsibility to protect those in her care.

"In the case of an alleged  pedophile working at the East Preston Day Care, Peterson-Rafuse didn’t act at all, but in the case of Talbot House she acted without regard for the affect her actions would have."

The Board of Directors at Talbot House specifically asked the Department of Community Services not to publish their report until the discrepancies were corrected. If the department couldn’t wait, they asked that their response be posted as well. The Minister ignored them.

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