Shane Thompson

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister and the deputy minister for their answers. I guess my last question in regards to this area here: how are the community wellness authorities being consulted and worked with so that they can promote the information as well? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for his answer. Yes, I was talking about medical travel because I'm looking at, in my riding, there are a couple of airplanes that are actually suitable for flying doctors, nurses, and MLAs, twin engines and that. So the question was asked, and so I'm glad to hear that. In regard to this medical travel and when you talked about the medevacs, is that part of this medical travel in this contract, this money in here? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for his commitment there. I look forward to that.

I guess I'm still trying to understand how the family violence shelters work. We don’t have any in our region right now. How is the department willing to work with the authority, I would assume, the wellness committee, on trying to establish one in the region? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just to go back to medical travel in regard to it being opened up, or it is going to be opening up, I guess, for competition again for it to be contracted out. Is the department looking at local businesses as well, local airlines, or are they just focused on the main ones like Canadian North, First Air, and Air Tindi? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to table a document from Grand Chief Herb Norwegian with regard to post-secondary cuts to the Education and Social Work programs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the deputy minister for her answer. It wasn't your hearing; it was me on a different track there, so I apologize for that.

So my next question is medical travel. I notice it's an increase of $379,000. Is this a forced growth or is this what we're expecting, unexpected costs coming up that we're not aware of? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I thank the Minister for his answer. We have heard in this House the Minister talk about inclusive schooling, that we are above the national average at 17 per cent. However, in this budget, on schedule 2, page 3 of 12, we see a reduction of $1.8 million. Can the Minister please advise this House what this reduction does to the percentage as per our legislation?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. On page 182, extended health care, there's a reduction of $350,000. Could the Minister explain the rationale for the reduction in this area? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I apologize to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment because I am going to ask him some follow-up questions on inclusive schooling and junior kindergarten. Mr. Speaker, we have heard the Minister talk about this $2 million. Where did this money come from, from the very beginning, when it was developed? Was it from the government or was it from the school boards, so the school boards had to take the money that we gave them and come up with $2 million? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. On page 179, they have an increase of $162 for longterm nursing care and then a reduction of $162 for medical and surgical nursing. Could the Minister explain the rationale for the reduction and increase in these two areas? Thank you, Mr. Chair.