Julie Green

I'm going to ask the simplest question possible: is the Minister committed to phasing out the Social Work Program?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Members on this side of the House have received variable answers about the future of the Social Work Program. We have heard both that the program is phased out, and will continue to be phased out; and we've also heard that the results of the foundational review are important to the future of the program. Mr. Speaker, my question for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment is: which one is it? Thank you.

What I am asking the Minister is: this college is under administration, so he has a direct role in its governance. When he asks for this report and receives it, what is he going to do with the results? I am not asking him to make it public. He has a terrible record of making things public. I am asking what he is going to do with the report.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said in my Member's statement, there is a review of the social work program under way now at Aurora College. The report is due on April 10th. My question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment: why wasn't this review completed prior to making the decision to phase out the social work program? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I am not satisfied with that response. We have asked the Minister continuously over not just weeks, but months, to share the details of this plan with us in confidence as the Standing Committee on Social Development. He has consistently refused to do that, and that's in spite of the fact that the Regular Members have received details of other federal governments' funding prior to an announcement.

This is strictly a stalling tactic by the Minister to avoid any accountability on the way that he is envisioning to spend this money. From what the deputy minister of...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I recognize that this is not the deputy minister's department, but it was my understanding that this money was earmarked for the availability and affordability of childcare. How does this expenditure relate to those mandate goals? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, my first question relates to page number 4. Under education and culture, there is a new expenditure of $2,015,000. Could the Minister please tell us exactly what this money is going to be used for? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, as the Minister may have heard me say today in my statement, one of the unintended, I think, unintended costs of the introduction of junior kindergarten was the necessity to provide these portables. If junior kindergarten had not been introduced last fall, would the school still have needed the portables? I wonder if the Minister can answer that. Thank you.

It sounds like this issue is well on its way to being resolved. My only remaining concern is that, in the reporting on this issue, the reporter tried the fire line on Friday and got no answer. Does the Minister have any information on whether the fire emergency line is operational?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am going to go back into my role as the honorary Member for the Sahtu with some questions about the Norman Wells fire department for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Last week, we had a conversation about the status of the Normal Wells fire department. My question for the Minister is whether it is operating today. Thank you.