Wendy Bisaro

I’ll try and rephrase the question. I’m not wanting to know what training principals take. I think it’s similar to the previous situation we had with homelessness where it was done off the corner of somebody’s desk. I see that counselling within many small schools is something that’s done off the corner of somebody’s desk. They have other jobs and other priorities and this is one thing that gets added on to the many other jobs that they do. Sometimes it’s a principal but sometimes it’s another teacher. So to give the training only to principals will not solve the problem.

What I’m suggesting is...

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Next on my list, Mr. Blake.

Thanks to the acting DM for that. I will look forward to reading that report. My last question has to do with indications in the budget that we’re getting an increasing number of applications for income support. It’s a trend that has been happening over the last several years and there are a number of reasons, I’m sure, why that’s happening. I’m not so concerned with the reasons because I believe they’re all valid, but I am concerned with whether or not the department has a strategy to deal with the fact that we have more and more people who seem to be needing income support and are asking us...

Thank you. To page 11-13, activity summary, corporate services, operations expenditure summary, $10.228 million.

Thanks to the Minister. I appreciate the commitment. I look forward to seeing the terms of reference at committee. One other thing in regard to inclusive schooling, and I would suggest that if we’re going to do a review of this program that the department offers, at the same time we should review the Inclusive Schooling Directive. We talked a bit about that yesterday. I believe it’s on the schedule for the department to review the Aboriginal Language and Culture-Based Education Directive, but I would like to ask the Minister if he would consider either adding the Inclusive Schooling Directive...

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Minister Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. At the outset I want to say that I support the comments of Mr. Bromley in terms of a review of income support. There have been some changes made and I’m glad to see them, but I think history shows that when you make changes piecemeal without looking at the whole and seeing things in a total that it doesn’t necessarily create the best product. In my view, we need a review of the whole program and I think we particularly need to look at the policy of Productive Choices. I’m not so sure that is doing its job and that it really encourages people to get off income support...

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister Abernethy, maybe we could commit to provide a better explanation. I’m not sure if you have something else that will help us get to the bottom of this. Minister Abernethy.

Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort in the witnesses. Does committee agree we bring the witnesses in?

My question related more to the security of information. It wasn’t an Auditor General’s report recommendation; it was from the Information and Privacy Commissioner. There was a concern on her part that not only Education but every department isn’t necessarily securing their data as well as they should. To that, to the security of data within the department, could the Minister make some comment? Thank you.