Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 8, 2006, Winnipeg, Manitoba a4 Winnipeg free press tuesday August 8, 2006 top news Mother who hid his convicted Case thought to be first in Canada Toronto ? in a Case considered to be the first of its kind in Canada a Hamilton Mother has been convicted for not telling doctors she was his positive which meant they could to prevent her new born son from being infected. She pleaded guilty to failing to provide the necessaries of life ? a charge nor Mally reserved for child neglect ? and was Given a six month conditional sen tence and three years probation. The sentence was handed Down Sev eral months ago by Justice Anton Zuraw on april 6, but the conviction was Only reported today by the Globe and mail. Detective Brien Smyth of Hamilton police service said they had hoped the virus would to be transmitted to the child but the baby tested positive for his at two and a half months old. There Are very effective ways to pre vent transmission of the virus from Mother to child and in Canada the Suc Cess rate is incredibly High. Or. Stanley read director of the his aids program at the Hospital for sick children in Toronto said even if a Mother takes no precautions the risk of transmission to the Newborn is about 25 to 30 per cent. We Haven to had an infected baby of a mom who took medication however badly for three years maybe four now ? and that a across Canada he said. Det. Smyth said the woman had been counselled about the risks. I think its such a unique Case i Hope we never see another one like it det. Smyth said. Its the woman could to be reached and her lawyer Larissa Fedak declined to comment. Globe and mail by Mia Rabson n negotiations to create native and a tis agencies to handle probation services in Manitoba Are in limbo because of a dispute Over whether the government Union should be part of the negotiations. Aboriginal leaders walked at the idea of allowing a Manitoba government employees Union representative at the table saying the Union is in a conflict of interest with the entire process because its mandate is to protect the current pro Bation officers not allow their jobs to be moved to other agencies. ? the government wanted to impose the Union representative on us and we said no said Sidney Garrioch head of the Northern chiefs organization Mani Toba Keewatin ook in new Okim Owin Moo. In May 2005, the province Moo the Southern chiefs organization and the Manitoba Metis federation signed an agreement to devolve probation services into four agencies in a bid to see culturally appropriate programming such As Healing circles offered to first nation and a tis Manitoban. It was a recommendation of the 1991 aboriginal Justice inquiry and follows the devolution of child and family ser vices that has already taken place. Ultimately each of the three aboriginal organizations will have a probation ser vice and there will be one More run by the provincial government for every one else. The Hope had been that a framework for the new agencies would be ready by Spring 2007, but More than 15 months after the agreement was signed the Par ties Are still arguing Over who gets to develop that framework. Ngeu president Peter Olfert said existing probation officers have the expertise needed to ensure the new sys tem works and have to be involved in the process. Its imperative we have a seat on the committee said Olfert. Assistant Deputy minister of corrections Greg Graceffo agrees. Our View is we would want front line probation staff working with us said Graceffo. They have the experience they understand the work and have a valuable he said the government was mailing a letter saying As much to the emf Moo and the Southern chiefs organization this week. But Manitoba a tis federation pres ident David Chartrand says the Only Rea son Ngeu would have to be at the table is to protect the jobs of its members something that has already been agreed to by All the parties. We Don to feel comfortable with the Union at the table he said. Chartrand says if the government wants front line experience they can ask him. He was a probation officer for four years. Conservative Justice critic Kelvin Goertzen fears the mess being created just to decide who will negotiate the new system does not Bode Well for the Public. It seems to me this All should have been figured out prior to the signing cer Emony said Goertzen. The Only thing that should matter Here is Public there Are currently 6,239 adults and 1,468 youths on probation in Manitoba and 258 probation officers. . For information reservations and brochure Call 7 Days a week ;