Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the course of this Assembly, I have repeatedly sounded the alarm about the impending crisis in the frontline agencies brought about by the overwhelming administrative burden and a lack of adequate funding. During our pre-budget consultations last fall, I heard from many NGOs about their inability to offer competitive wages and benefits that are absolutely essential to recruiting and keeping qualified staff. I’ve also heard convincing cases from where many well-established organizations, that the time has come to recognize their long-standing contribution and...

Mr. Chairman, from the Minister’s point of view, is that $3.5 million lost if we treat it as an interim investment to complete the renovations? In two or three years, can he just come back and say to renovate the building at 100 percent, as he has pointed out, is $12 million. Can we take the $3.5 million off that end total and continue to renovate the whole building, or do we have to start from scratch and it’s the whole $12 million? I want to know if we are investing in a long-term solution, or are we just throwing that money away? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think at this time my last question would be what type of schedule are we talking about and what would the time frame be affecting potential future usage? If this $3.5 million, and it’s very unheard of to have any estimate to come with a 25 percent contingency, which tells me that people are nervous who put a number on it to begin with. But the fact is, when does that start? So when does the potentially three years of life start on this building? When do the day renos start or does it start when renos have finished? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Minister, I appreciate those answers and it certainly feels as if the decision to do this was made at the last minute, whereas now we’re forced with a really tough decision. Do we spend a lot of money to save a community building that truly is the heart of the community, or do we look like bad guys and say that we’re not getting good value for money? The fact is, are we doing the community a disservice, because if we spend $3.5 million and if we get who knows how many years, I mean, some are saying two, some are saying four, but even if we get $3.5 million at three...

Thank you, Madam Chair. On the matter of the motion before us now, I won’t be supporting it. I see that we often complain about not delivering housing and meeting housing needs in the communities, and this is certainly going to cut them right at the heels and the delivery of the programs. I don’t think we are doing it any favours. Either we are in the housing business or not. If we start cutting half of this and half of that, we won’t have anything left over.

As far as identifying headquarters positions versus district positions, I don’t find that very responsible. I am not comfortable with...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I will be voting with the motion to delete that amount. What concerns me on this is it seems like a lot of money for investigation to a problem that I am not sure is our fault. The bottom line is if we have assumed an asset through whatever process, did we assume the liability with that knowingly? If we did, I guess we are on the hook for this money. On the hook, I should say, for the cleanup. As far as I am concerned, I don’t think that’s been satisfied at this stage to say that it should be our fault. I think this should be taken back through proper channels to our...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am glad to hear that the Minister is talking to YACCS through correspondence, as he pointed out. I am glad he mentioned business plans are coming forward to address forced growth problems. So going back to the $500,000 gap, Mr. Speaker, and the Minister is well versed in this so we don’t have to go into too much detail, can the Minister lay out some of the plans to meet wage parity in this upcoming business plan? What is the mandate he is giving his department to address this problem? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today, I talked about the government’s obvious undervalue of service agencies by not allowing these organizations like YACCS to pay their employees fair marketing competitive market wages, Mr. Speaker. My questions are directed to the Minister of Health and Social Services. What is the Minister prepared to do to assist YACCS and other organizations like them to ensure that they are able to offer competitive and attractive salaries and compensation packages to hire and keep trained staff in order to continue the high quality of essential...

Thank you, colleagues, and thank you, Minister Miltenberger. I can see you wanting to nay this. Mr. Speaker, the truth is, we have to start honing up to our responsibility. The concern is out there; we have no options. I expect nothing less than swift action from this Minister of Health and Social Services, because the continued survival of YACCS and other NGOs just like them are the backbone of our social infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, in closing here, this is something that has been a serious concern of mine, but I have to tell you it’s been a serious concern of those directly affected for...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It’s given me a lot to think about. If you treat it as a renovation over the long term, it sounds like a different approach. I was concerned that we were initially going to spend $3.5 million, have to throw it away and in three years we would have to walk away from our investment. I think that’s where the concern really comes from and I am sure Members on this side of the House would see it that way if we would completely have to walk away from $3.5 million, because I don’t know how anyone on this side of the House can spend $3.5 million for three years and walk away...