Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Anything further, Mr. Bromley?

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have a couple of questions in this section. I want to start off with I referenced in my opening remarks the extensive review that was done by the Standing Committee on Government Operations in the previous Assembly and the recommendations in the report that they produced were many. That was the review of the Official Languages Act. Their recommendations have yet to be acted on, really, by the department.

I noted in the Minister’s opening remarks he mentions that the Official Languages Act will be amended to eliminate the Official Languages Board, and that is one thing...

Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Do you have any witnesses you wish to bring into the Chamber? Minister Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Guy.

Thanks to the Minister for that. I’m really glad to hear that it’s on the radar, that this is an issue that is being addressed to a certain extent. I guess I would like to encourage the department to be more demanding in what they ask the education authorities to do.

As I mentioned when we talked about the Auditor General’s report some months ago, I think there is a need for the department to be a bit more autocratic and demanding in the things that… The department as a central body should demand certain things of the board and this is one of them where I don’t think the board should have any...

Does committee agree we have concluded the Department of Public Works and Services?

Page 7-18, Public Works and Services, activity summary, information item, asset management, active positions. Seeing no questions we will move on. Page 7-21, Public Works and Services, activity summary, Technology Service Centre, operations expenditure summary, $1.361 million.

Thanks for the response from the acting DM. I guess my concern with a modified program is, you know, if we put the emphasis on early childhood, whether it be preschool or child care, daycares, playschool-type activity or facilities, and we have teachers and assistants in that facility working with the kids and if they are not taking a course that’s fairly rigorous and that gives them a high level of skill, I would think that we’re kind of cutting off our nose to spite our face in that we’re not getting the best we can for the kids in this program.

I don’t know why the program has been modified...

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, committee. Mr. Abernethy, could you introduce your witnesses for the record, please?