Bob Bromley

Thanks for the Minister’s comments. I think this is legitimately discussed in an operational budget. I think we’re talking facilitation of planning from public groups in these areas and the Minister providing some leadership assistance in helping organize efforts where our partners would be the major funders, perhaps, because I haven’t seen much interest from this government for funding such centres in terms of infrastructure. Anyway, I hope the Minister will look at that as an opportunity.

The language nests that we’re doing, moving on here under Aboriginal languages, I'm just wondering, once...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The role of Regular Members in setting spending priorities is one of the most important features of consensus government. When we insist on changes to budgets, Regular Members are expressing their highest priorities and we expect government to act. This government has failed miserably in that over the last year and I am fed up.

Last year Members prioritized $1.25 million targeted to finalize an Early Childhood Educator Program at Aurora College to graduate fully qualified professionals. Also included were developing community family centres and supporting community early...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess I wanted to say this is a very important program. There are many people throughout the North who need government support because of their personal situations. This division plays a big role. However, based on feedback from constituents and listening to other colleagues, there are still some major issues here. Dignity is still missing in the treatment of income assistance clients on a too frequent basis. I’m not saying all the time, but more than it should be. People, frankly speaking, are treated like they are dirt. This is totally unacceptable. I know it’s...

Thank you. The figure I have is $300,000 for this activity. The Minister refers to $670,000. This was to be focused exclusively on the zero to three years old, the critical years, prenatal through three years old and I think there was some Aboriginal Head Start Program money in there. But anyway, I’d say it’s very difficult to get the information I’m looking for today.

Moving on, the pupil-teacher ratio we have is way beyond what’s called for in legislation and it’s been demonstrated that there’s no correlation between the performance we’re getting in education, the outcomes and this...

I appreciate those comments. I’m glad to hear about the accountability framework that’s going to be in place. Let’s see, I did ask for one thing that I didn’t get and I can’t remember now what it was. Is there a matching requirement for the dollars? That’s the last one. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just to follow up a little bit, significant dollars were committed to early childhood community outreach in response to the priorities raised in the House. I’m wondering if we can get some kind of report as to how those dollars have been spent. Will they be fully expended this fiscal year and fully renewed for the next in this budget? Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, I move that we report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to follow up a little bit on the adult learning and basic education programs, and I have got some information from the Minister recently which I appreciated. Can the Minister summarize what the plans are for this year with the CanNor dollars? Is that a matching funding? Is that something we match or are we able to use those dollars exclusively on their own for this ALBE initiative?

Thanks to the Minister for that breakdown. I have some of that information. What I would be interested in, in particular, is how the expenditures have varied from what was planned at the beginning of the fiscal year, so I would appreciate that. I know the Minister made a commitment to have a fully qualified – which I assume means meeting the federal standards – early childhood worker employed at each of the two child and family resource centres. Could I just confirm that those fully qualified people are employed in those programs as per that commitment?

Thanks to the Minister. I wonder if the Minister would commit, just so we know what we’re talking about, if the Minister would commit to developing a briefing note, an information package on what we’re talking about here. If we were to upgrade all of our early childhood workers and their salaries, what would be the cost, in terms of the salaries, salary difference across the government for early childhood workers, just so we know what we’re dealing with and if we need to plan for it. I think that’s a good starting point. That would be great.