The Green Party critic for Children and Family Development says a move to end the birth alert system in B.C. is long overdue.

Speaking on the NL Morning News, Cowichan Valley MLA Sonia Furstenau points out the decision comes after ‘Baby H’ was seized from Indigenous parents at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops.

“That story made national news, and rightfully so. There were accusations against the parents that were untrue. The approach that the ministry took to appear on the scene of two brand new parents and to remove their child, it’s an astonishing practice in 2019 in Canada.”

Furstenau points out the decision didn’t need an amendment in the Legislature but rather just a deletion of a form.

“That’s an indication that the government has known for quite a long time that this is a practice that Indigenous communities in particular have been calling for an end to. And that it could be ended with the stroke of a pen, in my opinion is long overdue, and should’ve been dealt with quite a long time ago.”

Furstenau also says research has shown that removing a child from their family at birth is traumatic for not only the parents but for the baby itself as well.

Minister of Children and Family Development Katrine Conroy told NL News in the summer the province was reviewing the birth alert system, prior to announcing the end of the practice yesterday.