The Campbell administration hasn't yet responded to a request for details about top bureaucrat Jessica McDonald's study trip abroad. But New Democrat children and family development critic Maurine Karagianis is concerned about what might have been said during a scheduled meeting between Ms. McDonald and a senior British mandarin to discuss "the role of the non-profit sector in the delivery of public services."

Speaking with Public Eye, Ms. Karagianis said she's heard repeated rumours government plans to move more services into that sector. And "again, we are seeing indications from this government that they are going to find more ways to offload responsibilities onto the shoulders of organizations, like non-profits, that are the least able to absorb both the responsibilities, the liabilities and the funding implications of that," she said. "The foreshadowing I'm seeing here is very disturbing."

The United Kingdom recently launched an initiative to enhance the role of non-profits in delivering "public services that are more focused around the needs of individuals and communities."