Bob Bromley

Thank you to Mr. Daniels for those remarks. My question is: in the commitment to undertake an Early Childhood Development Program review, will all of those programs -- and I counted something like one, two, three, four, five, six, six or seven programs -- be part of that review?

Mr. Chairman, thanks for the Minister’s remarks. I think the Yellowknives Dene will appreciate that work and will be right there participating.

I just want to say, before I move on, that I am very pleased with about 15 percent increase to the budget for official languages and I want to recognize the Minister for carving out those dollars. I know there are many competing demands, so that extra $1.1 million is going to be an important contribution. I think we need it, obviously, to follow up on the new Languages Strategy.

I just had a quick question on inclusive schooling. We chatted about this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m afraid that is less than a satisfactory response. I’m sure the federal government is welcome at any of our tables, but here we need to go to their table and do some real work here. So I would have to grade that quite low, Mr. Speaker, and I’m sure the Minister can come up with better.

But I don’t just lay this on the Minister of MACA, Mr. Speaker. Every MLA and especially Cabinet has a role to play, because as the Minister recognizes, this is dealing with the federal government, big daddy out there. I’m wondering what role the Minister sees all of the MLAs and, for...

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Minister Lafferty.

Mr. Speaker, thanks for the Minister’s comments there. Good work has also been done on the development of the recreational leasing framework. Information is being gathered towards a comprehensive understanding of the resource base and the use of the area can bear while maintaining our vital interest in preserving the watershed of Yellowknife for our drinking water supply. The next essential step is an invitation of the general public to contribute its knowledge and suggestions. Will the Minister commit to a full public consultation, keeping in mind the need to allow sufficient time for full...

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good progress has been made towards preventing trespass in the Yellowknife area and on sustainable use of the resources of the Yellowknife block land transfer area. The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is making good progress both in controlling unauthorized use and developing a plan and I want to recognize that.

A freeze on new leases was announced in December 2009, and legal and administrative action is underway to deal with squatters. Of 16 unauthorized occupancies in the Prosperous-Walsh Lake area, four sites have been voluntarily vacated, five sites...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate this opportunity to reply to the budget address. I want to start off by recognizing that we are in the final year of our term as the 16th Legislative Assembly. We have had some large challenges when we initially got together and started work. We have made some progress on some issues. I want to acknowledge that.

Today I would like to speak to some of my frustrations in lost opportunities and some persistent issues and shortcomings of our budgets. I speak generally of the last four budgets as well as this one and the budget address.

The first one, and I am...

Agreed. Page 8-40, Health and Social Services, information item, work performed on behalf of others, continued. Agreed?

Thank you, Minister. Time is expended for this question, but I could put you back on the list, if you wish, Mr. Hawkins. Next on the list is Mr. Abernethy.