Bob Bromley

Certainly parking has been an issue and I appreciate the work being done to address that. Part of it seems to be related to trespassers using the facility for parking while they’re at illegal facilities on the lake. I’m wondering if we’re able to resolve that situation at all. Also, the park is a bit odd in that there are residents who own lots there as well as some that lease lots there and, obviously, have to park in the park. I think the proposal is to start charging them for parking. That seems a bit odd to me. I’m wondering if that situation has been discussed and whether we’ll hear some...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also would like to focus my questions to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Last year CanNor announced $6.8 million in support of adult literacy and basic education programs by Aurora College, with $2.5 million earmarked for this fiscal year. Promised programs included hiring of adult learning basic education instructors, trades access program funding, community basic education learning opportunities and a focus on short courses towards essential skills.

Can the Education Minister give a summary of programs delivered this year and whether all the...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I’m just wondering, there seems to be a bit of a de-emphasis on Homeownership Entry Level Program funding and maybe a re-emphasis on the Market Housing Program. Could I just get the reasoning for those adjustments?

Thanks. I think the Minister has my question, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During this Education Week the buzz on the street is about the possible move towards educational reform. I’d like to inform the discussion based on the experience of Finnish educator Dr. Pasi Sahlberg.

When the Finns began retooling their education system 30 years ago, they didn’t set out to be the best, but today it’s one of the most successful public education systems in the world. They just set out to make schools the best possible place for children.

Finnish education is based on three principles: all education is paid by the state, from preschool to primary through...

Thanks for that information. On the $700,000 for pellet boilers estimated to serve about 50 units, I’m very happy to see this. We’ve talked about this for a number of years and I appreciate the Minister moving this forward. Do we know what the anticipated savings… Have we had the opportunity to do that work yet, or is this where we would start? I’m just curious.

Again, have we got locations figured out for this? Would it be in several places or are we talking a couple places where we have a concentration of units? Thank you.

I appreciate the Minister’s comments. I would hope, if and when we do have such money, that there will be a focus to getting something done on the ground rather than just planning. Again, I appreciate the Minister’s comments. That’s all I have at this stage. Thank you.

That’s good information. I missed the date that the asset system was brought on stream or will be brought on stream, but also I’ll throw in my next question. Sort of getting back to the energy side, are the 171 major retrofits, are we taking the time to select those or using all of our information so that we get the best payback, that sort of thing, rather than just sort of methodically going through them from A to B? Thank you.

Madam Chair, it doesn’t answer the question but, yes. I think we continue to see our energy dollars decrease when the need is, in fact, increasing and there is an opportunity to redirect the funds that we’re no longer using to subsidize energy to put into energy initiatives. I’m very disappointed if the Minister did not try to capture some of those dollars here.

I think the point is, hydro we know is expensive. It has serious frontend costs, but it’s also self-financing. It’s typically very long lived, 50 to 70 years. We have an opportunity, if we were to capture these dollars. The difference...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I believe I’m correct in addressing my infrastructure dollars, energy efficiency stuff here. So I want to start off by saying I’m very pleased to see the investments in this line. I know we’ve addressed some of our energy costs through the work that’s been done. There’s been some progressive work over the last six years, I think I heard 1.8 or 9 percent savings in energy costs, and a significant effort being proposed for this fiscal year. It’s got my support.

My first question, was it $14 million, 171 units, about $82,000 per unit? That seems to be the cost of major...