Mr. Speaker, today I publicly demand Minister Miltenberger please put down your board reform pen and join the side of the people. If there is a time for unity, a vision where Northerners need to work together during these fiscally tight and uncertain times, the time is certainly now. The thinking of “government knows best” has been heard and is certainly now refuted by the people who are demanding better from their elected officials. From the turnout today, it is proof enough that the people want their government Ministers to now listen.
Mr. Speaker, if I may, the dream of a democratic approach was never designed around a one-size-fits-all. I have heard and seen time and time again that people want their government, regardless of what level, working better together. Perhaps, if the Minister hasn’t noticed yet, the people want their boards in health, in housing and in education. The people want their boards to be elected, independent and responsible directly to them but not to a bureaucrat out of their reach. Yes, there will be struggles, but that is the nature of what defines us. Now is the time to work towards efficiencies and not the deconstruction of our democratic right, our boards.
Reform is scary, Mr. Speaker. Everyone wants some version of it and in this case the word “reform” has meant steamrolling and amalgamating these boards together. It has not been built around practicality and reality. I’m a believer that if amalgamation is what the people really wanted, Mr. Speaker, then that’s what they would have asked for. I have heard no calls to make super boards out of our grassroots boards that are publicly elected and publicly responsible. Mr. Speaker, I haven’t seen one ounce of proof that efficiencies will be made through this pass; no better representation and certainly no better quality of programming for our people. At this moment there has been no case to build on that effect. I can’t imagine a single person defending inefficiencies, so then where are they? So where are these great reasons to roll up our boards? I cannot see any.
The process from the beginning should have been about bringing people together to harmonize excellence, but not to force a merger through this representation. This should have been about building better relationships and efficiencies, not butchering our boards and our people. Mr. Speaker, this is no loss of respect or shame if this Minister and this government pulls this from the table, but there will be a new found respect earned today by the people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause
