Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s not often that I get really angry about a response from this government. Today I am riled.
Last fall I tried to get some information from the Minister of Education’s office about planned renovations or upgrades to two Yellowknife schools. It took some doing, but I did get some information. It didn’t suggest much capital planning on the part of the department, though, so six weeks ago I submitted a written question to Minister Lafferty in the House. I asked for the plans that Education, Culture and Employment has for renovations or new construction for our 47 NWT schools in the next five years, the next 10 years, and the next 20 years. I was looking for evidence of a capital plan. Some evidence of a long-term plan for education facilities. Yesterday the Minister tabled his answer to my question. It’s on page 31 of February 27th unedited Hansard. It’s not worth the paper it’s written on and has left me truly disturbed and frustrated.
The response contains no statistics. Not one school is mentioned. I am advised of the capital planning process and that budget amounts for capital projects are not published. I know that process. That’s not what I asked for. I waited six weeks to be provided with information I already know. I think it would have been preferable for me to get no answer rather than the one I received. I feel this answer is an affront to my intelligence and a slap in the face to our legislative system.
Written questions are intended to provide Members with detail that cannot rightly be provided during our oral questions exchanges. How else can Members get detailed information about a certain issue or concern into the public realm?
I wasn’t looking for dollars and cents, just the plans ECE has to maintain and replace their infrastructure in the future. The response suggests that there is no plan, that the department has no idea which schools need renovations or replacement and when. This response suggests that any education capital projects will be left to the lobbying efforts of MLAs and subject to political suasion and whims. Hardly a well thought out plan.
I will have questions for the Minister of Education about plans for school renos and replacements at the appropriate time.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
