From the Globe and Mail:

In the face of censure from the formidable Ted Hughes, B.C.’s former conflict of interest commissioner, the provincial government has backed down on its efforts to dilute the powers of the independent watchdog for children – at least temporarily.

The government said Tuesday it will accept Mr. Hughes’s offer of mediation in its long-running dispute with the B.C. Representative for Children and Youth, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond.

But Allan Seckel, the head of the civil service, said Mr. Hughes won’t have long to find a solution. The government still intends to pass a law to curb the representative’s authority if talks don’t resolve the conflict before the end of the legislative session on June 3. read more