Bob Bromley

I just want to say I’m very pleased to see that modest increase. It’s more than doubling of the budget to date but, obviously, that budget to date I see as quite inadequate. I want to compliment the department on getting that commitment and allocation in there. Are these internal dollars or is the source of these dollars federal? Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, our deputy minister is really just providing the justification for a course tune-up. They are not taking the course and making sure that practice in remote and rural communities is provided. The bottom line is this is a highly valuable course. The instructors that have probably more experience than our remote and rural communities has a nurse in charge, et cetera, than anybody in the room here in the House have spoken to me about the value of this course. I am happy to trust the professionals there.

Another issue I would like to just touch on briefly is this House has called...

Page 10-7, Education, Culture and Employment, department summary, operations expenditure summary, we will defer until after the activity summary. Page 10-8, Education, Culture and Employment, department summary, information item, infrastructure investment summary.

Page 8-30, Health and Social Services, activity summary, community health programs, grants and contributions, contributions. Agreed? Ms. Bisaro.

Mr. Chairman, I am having a hard time with finding any horse sense in that. Mr. Chairman, obviously we have a continuing intake of students. We have continuing revolving people in our communities. Could the Minister match those up for me somehow?

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Committee, we are on general comments. Department of Education, Culture and Employment. I have nobody else on my list. Anybody? Not seeing any, I will turn to the Minister for his response. Minister Lafferty.

Thank you. Just a comment there. I have nobody else on my list. Committee, I’ll remind you we’re on page 8-21, Health and Social Services, activity summary, health services programs, operations expenditure summary, $188.658 million. Agreed?

Mr. Chairman, I would presume that the Minister’s earlier observations that we do need nurse practitioners and we will continue to push for increased use of them would enter into that review. Is the funding secure for the 2011-12 fiscal year? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Next on my list is Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Next on my list is Mr. Abernethy.